


Into the Shadows

by Baller_Butterfly25



Series: Into the Shadows [1]
Category: DCU (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Dick Grayson is Nightwing, F/F, Love Triangles, Protective Roy Harper
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-06 08:56:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13407795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baller_Butterfly25/pseuds/Baller_Butterfly25
Summary: "This jackass dislocated my shoulder.""Mildly separated."





	1. 1 ~ Playful Battles Lead to "Misunderstandings"

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my first ever X-OC fanfics. I'm all about critiquing, so please, don't be afraid to tell me what you guys think! (With moderation, though, please.) Each chapter typically has a song that goes with it; I'll be posting the song list at the end of the book, itself. Before reading, know that this book will have a sequel, and that Adrian Anderson and Black Monarch are my characters. They've been copyrighted, so have some moderation and please don't copy them. Finally, this story follows the storyline of Season 2 of Young Justice. Thank you, and enjoy.

_~ Adrian ~_

"Adrian! Barbara and I are leaving for a bit. Do you want to come with us?" Cassie asked, peeking her head into the doorway of my bedroom. I was hanging upside down off the edge of my bed, my long, brown hair sweeping across the floor below me. I shook my head. 

"No, thanks. I want to get some training in this afternoon," I replied, letting out a sigh. Cassie stuck her bottom lip out in a pout; I hated when she did that. 

"But, you never go out with us anymore, Adrian!" She whined, looking over at Barbara for help. Barbara just shrugged. 

"Cass, if she wants to be like that, then let her. M'gann was busy, too; they have lives, you know," Barbara teased, and I stuck my tongue out at the two. 

"Fine!" Cassie exclaimed, slumping her shoulders as she turned and stomped down the hall. Barbara snickered, watching after the blonde's retreating figure. 

"She just wants you to have some fun, Adrian," Barbara murmured, looking back at me. "I mean, all you ever do is sit here in your room. You should at least try to get out more." I sighed and sat up on my bed, running a hand through my tangled mess of hair. 

"I know," I muttered, "and, I promise, I'll try." I then gave Barbara a small smile, which she returned. 

"Well, if you need anything, just call," she replied, shooting me a little wave before disappearing down the hall. I waited until she was gone before letting out another sigh, puffing my cheeks as the smile fell away from my face. 

"How many times are they going to ask me to hang out with them until they realize that I just _don't_ want to be social?" I groaned, flopping backward onto my bed. 

"Rough day?" 

"You have no idea," I muttered, turning my head to look at Nightwing, who was leaning in the doorway across the room. I cringed as I gave him a brief once-over, mentally critiquing his outfit. 

"Do you always have to wear your suit any time we're in the Cave?" I asked. "I mean, it's so much more comfortable in civvies, so why wear that thing everywhere?" Nightwing shrugged. 

"If it's bothering you that much, I could just strip down right here," he replied, reaching up to the back of his neck for the zipper that held his suit together. I simply shot him a blank stare, placing my hands behind my head. 

"Go right ahead; just remember that you're the one making it weird," I muttered, and Nightwing smirked, letting out a soft chuckle. 

"Fair enough," he said, pursing his lips as he glanced around my room. The grey walls were blank and dull, much like the rest of my room, which consisted of only my bed, covered by a midnight-blue comforter, my closet, filled with an assortment of garments ranging in my favorite shades of dark blues, grays, and blacks, a dresser, and a desk beside my bed, covered in scattered papers and pencils from my various sketched and such. 

"You know, you could actually do something productive with this space," Nightwing murmured, taking a step into my room. I raised a hand, pointing toward my door. 

"That's far enough," I muttered, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. He raised his hands out in front of him, taking a step back and out of my room. 

"Okay, okay," he replied, leaning back in my doorway. "I just wanted to know if you were going to train later." I nodded. 

"That was the plan, but -" 

"I'll see you downstairs in fifteen minutes, then," he interrupted, shooting me a quick grin and turning down the hall before I had a chance to interject. I let out an irritated groan, rolling my eyes. 

"Well, I've got to get up eventually," I whispered out loud, pushing off of my bed and walking over to my dresser. I pulled out a black tank top and a pair of gray sweats, changing into them before pulling my hair back into a ponytail. Grabbing the half-empty water bottle from my desk, I made the trip to the Mission Room, taking a seat on the floor as I began stretching. A few minutes later, I looked up to see Dick, finally out of his suit and clad in a white tank top and black sweats. 

"Before you say anything," he piped up before I could comment, "I'm only doing this because we're the only ones here." I smirked, scrunching my nose as I stuck my tongue out at him. 

"I'll take what I can get," I replied, snickering. "Although, you have to admit, it's not too horrible to be normal every once in a while." Dick rolled his eyes. 

"Speak for yourself," he retorted. "You're anything but normal, Adrian." I scoffed, brushing off his weak attempt at an insult and rose to my feet, walking to the other side of the room. 

"No powers," Dick reminded, and I nodded, readying myself into a fighting stance. Dick did the same on the opposite side of the room. 

"Begin," I muttered, and he began sprinting at me almost immediately. I took a step back before running dead-on at him, waiting to see what his response would be. I notice his pace begin to slow as we approached each other, and I carefully watched for his method of attack. I first noticed him clench his fist, drawing back the slightest bit. 

I literally felt the whoosh as his fist flew past my cheek, barely tagging my ear. I dodged and countered with an elbow to the back of his shoulder, followed by a kick to the back of the knee. Dick rolled away and shot to his feet a second later, eyeing me carefully; I did the same, taking a moment to look him over before charging him again. 

Dick dodged the kick that was aimed at his head and wrapped an arm behind my other leg, causing me to lose my balance as he threw me to the ground, pinning me to the floor. I huffed, averting my gaze as he hovered over me, smirking. 

"You still have your skill, but you seem to be lacking in something," he murmured, breathing heavily. "Could it be. . . concentration?" I scowled up at him; I didn't like being defeated, much less by him, but if that was his idea of flirting, then he was doing a poor job of it. 

"After five years with you? I doubt I'm lacking anything," I replied, feeling a dull pain stabbing at my arm. "Other than that, any side notes?" I reached up and placed my hands on his chest, shoving him off of me. I winced and grunted as the pain intensified, and I bit my lip to suppress the tears that threatened to peak in my eyes. 

"What's wrong?" Dick asked, taking a seat on the floor in front of me. 

"Damn it, Dick, I think you dislocated my shoulder," I muttered as I slowly lowered my arm to try and ease some of the pain. Dick shot me a look of concern, reaching out toward me. I pulled away from him, rising to my feet. 

"Come on, Adrian, I just want to take a look at it," he replied softly, moving to stand in front of me. The sincerity in his voice persuaded me enough to hesitantly reach toward him, wincing as he grabbed hold of my arm. 

"Sorry," he muttered. I rolled my eyes and turned to look away, a wave of uneasiness washing over me as I felt Dick slowly moving my arm around. At one point, he pushed it a little too far, causing me to cry out in pain. 

"Damn!" I hissed, gritting my teeth, and Dick gave me an apologetic look as he lowered my arm back to my side. 

"I think it'd be best if I took you to the hospital," he murmured, and I scowled, stepping away from him. 

"Yeah, Dick, I don't think so," I replied, shaking my head. "I don't want a doctors fawning over something so small." 

"I get it, Adrian, but you're in pain," Dick said, gesturing to my injured arm. "Honestly, would you rather have a professional reset it, or Black Canary?" I hesitated for a moment before letting out a groan, ignoring the ignorant look that had spread across his face. 

"So, my bike, or yours?" 

* * * 

"Finally!" I groaned, walking into the kitchen with Dick right on my heels. 

We had just gotten back from the hospital, where we'd found out that I'd received a separated shoulder, rather than a dislocated one. Since it was a very minimal injury, the doctors said that I would be okay, but I would have to wear a sling for at least the next two weeks, much to my annoyance. 

Dick smiled as I passed through the kitchen and over to the living room, where I took a deep breath before sprawling myself across the sofa, doing my best to avoid accidentally landing on my arm. 

"Want anything to eat?" He asked, drumming his fingers across the countertop in front of him. I hesitated before nodding, glancing at him over the back of the couch. 

"Can you throw me those?" I asked, pointing to an unopened bag of potato chips resting on the counter beside him. Dick nodded and reached for the bag, just as a strong gust of wind flew through the room, followed by a loud "Nope!" that echoed off the walls. I rolled my eyes, letting out a groan; after working with that idiot for so many years, I would recognize that voice anywhere. 

"Wally. . ." I whined, my eyes darting around the room as I tried to catch sight of the estranged speedster. A loud snicker to my right caught my attention, and in the blink of an eye, Wally West was standing in front of me, stuffing his face with the potato chips. I frowned and scoffed, resting my chin in the palm of the hand of my uninjured arm. 

"Help yourself," I muttered, watching as Wally wolfed down the rest of the bag before letting out a satisfying belch. 

"That was great," Wally murmured, flopping down beside me as he tossed the empty bag over the back of the couch. 

"Wally, why are you here?" Dick asked as he joined us in the living room. "Where's Artemis?" Wally shrugged. 

"She had to go on a trip for a couple of weeks for school," he replied, humming quietly to himself. His gaze traveled over to me, and it was then that he finally noticed the sling. "What happened to you?" I turned and scowled at Dick, who pursed his lips and looked away, avoiding my hardened glare. 

"This jackass dislocated my shoulder," I muttered, sticking my tongue out at Dick. 

"Mildly separated," he corrected, to which I rolled my eyes. Wally looked between the two of us before turning to Dick, a sly smirk plastered across his face. 

"Oh, getting a little too rough, I see?" He purred, his sly tone irritating the crap out of me and Dick both. I hesitated before glancing over to a dark corner of the living room and stuck out my uninjured hand, drawing the shadow away from the corner. The shadow crept up the side of the couch and across my lap as I moved it toward an oblivious Wally, and it finally crawled up his side and wrapped around his head, covering his face in a sheet of darkness, which rendered him sightless. 

"Hey!" He exclaimed, shooting up from the couch. He staggered around for a moment as he attempted to claw the shadow from his face, and I couldn't help but smirk and look over at Dick, who was trying his best to keep from smiling. 

"Come on, Adrian," Wally whined, slumping his shoulders in defeat. "I can't see!" I let out a giggle and snapped my fingers, and the shadow immediately fell away from his face and returned to its corner. Wally nodded, placing his hands on his hips. 

"Thank you for that," he muttered, letting out a stiff cough. Dick snickered, folding his arms across his chest. 

"Wow, KF, I didn't think you'd actually be grateful," he said, earning a scowl from Wally. 

"You can't call me KF anymore; I'm retired! And, besides, what else was I supposed to do?" He replied, flicking his hand in the air. "I mean, the girl can manipulate shadows! No one else can do that!" He then turned to me. "How do you even do that, anyway?" I shrugged. 

"First of all, don't keep saying that you're retired," I mumbled, earning an irritated look in return. "Anyway, it's quite simple, really. All I do is command the shadow to come to me, and I can use my mind to turn the light particles into an animated object as long as it's projected onto a three-dimensional surface," I explained, pretending to boredly study my nails. I couldn't help but snicker as Wally's mouth fell open, a look of utter disbelief spreading across his face. 

"That is not simple!" He exclaimed, scoffing. "Tell me more; can you levitate yourself using shadows? Can you - can you camouflage yourself against a shadow? Oh, can you turn into a shadow?!" Dick stepped forward and smacked Wally on the back of the head, causing him to wince. 

"Dude, chill out," Dick murmured, shaking his head. "You've known her for years; she's told you about her powers before." Wally pouted, folding his arms across his chest as he gestured to me. 

"It's been a while; can you blame me if I've forgotten?" He replied, and I couldn't help but smile at his childishness. 

"It's fine, KF," I said, gaining Wally's attention, as well as an irritated look in favor of his old nickname. "To answer your first question, I would honestly have no need to, seeing as I can fly -" 

"Wait, you can fly, too?" Wally asked, grinning like an idiot. I hesitated before shooting Dick an annoyed look, which he returned, and I huffed and turned back to Wally. 

"Yes, I can," I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Secondly, technically, anyone can hide in the shadows, if they know how to do it correctly; however, I have the ability to pull the shadows over me as a sort of camouflage - I basically blend in with the darkness. Thirdly, while I think that it would be interesting if I could turn into a shadow, I've never actually tried it before; honestly, I'm not sure if I'd even really want to." Wally just sat there, staring at me with the most dumbfounded look I'd ever seen plastered across his face. Dick chuckled. 

"You know he'll forget all of that in a few hours," he muttered, and I nodded. 

"Well, I mean, if he were to try to explain his powers to me, I'd have no problem remembering," I responded, hoping to get a rise out of Wally. "I mean, it's just superspeed; although, the first couple of months I was here, the only reason I was able to remember that he was fast was because he used to break into my room right after I'd gotten in the shower. Since M'gann and I showered at roughly the same time, there wouldn't have been any possible way that any _normal_ person would be able to get from snooping around in my room to hers in such a short amount of time." That seemed to snap Wally out of his stupor, and he turned to scowl at me, though it was almost immediately replaced with a look of panic. 

"Y-You never told Artemis about that, right?" He stuttered, his eyes widening nervously. I smirked, shaking my head. 

"No; that girl knocked the pervert right out of you, anyway," I replied, laughing, and Wally let out a sigh of relief. 

"Thank God," he breathed. "But, in all honesty, was that really the only reason you remembered my powers? We worked together for five years, and you're saying that you would have just forgotten about me?" Just to spite him, I casually nodded, and Wally whimpered. 

"Hey, a fifteen-year-old guy creeping on a thirteen-year-old girl isn't something that's easily forgotten," I replied, and Wally frowned. 

"Wait, that makes you the same age as Dick," he murmured, glancing between the two of us. I shrugged. 

"Well, he's twenty, and I'm nineteen, but close enough," I replied, and Wally hummed in response. 

"Aw, does that mean that you still remember my birthday?" Dick cooed sarcastically, shooting me a wink. I returned it with a blank stare, cocking an eyebrow. 

"Um, yes?" I replied, and Wally's face lit up as he shot me a cheesy grin. 

"Do you remember my birthday, cuteness?" He asked, winking, and Dick snickered. 

"That doesn't work on her," he retorted, but Wally ignored him as he waited for my response. 

"Yes, KF," I muttered, sighing. "I remember everyone's birthdays; M'gann and I throw the parties every year, remember?" 

"Huh," Wally mumbled, glancing over at Dick, who shrugged. Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, a loud siren sounded throughout the HQ. 

"Team, please rendezvous in the Mission Room for a debriefing of your next assignment," an automated voice echoed through the room. Wally let out a sigh and pushed away from the couch, moving to stand beside Dick. 

"Well, as much as I'd like to stay and chat," he began, throwing an arm around Dick's shoulders, "I gotta run. Bye!" With that, he was gone, presumably no longer inside Mount Justice. Dick let out a sigh, shaking his head as he stepped over to me. 

"I'll walk you back to your room," he muttered, holding out a hand for me to take. I didn't accept it. 

"You know, it's one thing for those Kroloteans to keep harassing us, but it's another when there's nothing I can do about it," I hissed, shaking my head. Dick hesitated for a moment before kneeling down in front of me, though I refused to meet his gaze. 

"Trust me," he said, giving me a halfhearted smile, "if they continue at this pace, then there will be plenty more of those freaks for you to take down." No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't help but smile as I looked up at Dick, who grinned in return. "See? You know I'm right," he added, placing his hand out in front of me. I grabbed hold and he helped me off of the couch, pulling me behind him as he lead me back to my room. 

"Thanks," I muttered, turning toward my door once we'd arrived at my room. Dick tightened his grip on my hand, and I paused, turning back to him. 

"Listen, I know how badly you want to be out there," he murmured, running his other hand through his hair. I scowled, shaking my head. 

"You think?" I snapped, gritting my teeth. "I can take down any number of those things quicker and more efficiently than anyone else on the Team!" 

"Hey, at least you get to hand out here," he replied. I sighed and shrugged my uninjured shoulder, even though his comment hadn't made me feel any better. 

"Oh, yeah, it doesn't get any better than this," I muttered, shoving open my bedroom door. Dick gave my hand a final squeeze before releasing it, and I could feel him watching me as I stepped into my room. I turned back and gave him a small smile before shutting my door, and I leaned against it as I listened quietly to Dick's retreating footsteps heading back down the hall, most likely back to the locker room to change. I hummed quietly to myself as I was left alone in silence, my gaze drifting to the floor in front of me. 

_This sucks._


	2. Babysitting Isn't Always Delightful, You Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Start explaining," I hissed, my eyes narrowing dangerously at the two of them. "Now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys know that I have a much crappier version of this story written on Wattpad? *sweatdrops* Oh, well; enjoy!

"This is just great," I muttered out loud, flopping onto my bed. "I'm on suspension for at the next two weeks, those damned Kroloteans are multiplying all over the freaking world, and, better yet, Nightwing continues to exceed my expectations over how irritating one person can possibly be." 

_You know, you_ _could_ _say_ _that_ _he's_ _being_ _a_ _real_ _'_ _Dick'._  

I rolled my eyes at the voice in my head and sighed, letting my uninjured arm rest over my eyes.

_Yeah_ _,_ _I_ _guess_ _he_ _is_ _,_ I thought, smiling.  _Dick_ _is -_

A loud crash suddenly shook my entire room, and I let out a growl, gritting my teeth together. 

" _Oh_ _,_ _come_ _on_ _,_ _that_ _was_ _totally_ ** _your_** _fault_ _!_ " A whining voice came from the kitchen, followed by someone speaking rapidly in Spanish. I pushed myself away from my bed and slammed my door open, walking hastily to the kitchen.

"What in the -!" I yelled, immediately cutting myself short as an egg came flying at me, landing in the center of my chest. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, trying my best to control my anger and not strangle the living snot out of those two.

"Oh, no," one of them squeaked, his voice wavering.

" _Ay, dios mío,_ " the other whispered.

"Uh, Adrian - I mean, Monarch -  _Miss_ Black Monarch, we -" Garfield stuttered, nervously chuckling. I held up a hand, and he immediately shut up.

"I just want to know  _what_ happened," I muttered as I opened my eyes, only to be introduced to a completely destroyed kitchen. The refrigerator was tipped onto its side, its contents spilled out onto the floor, the stove was smoking, though there was nothing inside, and there were food splatters and messy ingredients painting the countertops and floor.

_I_ _was_ _just_ _in_ _here_ _,_ _like_ _,_ _FIVE_ _MINUTES_ _AGO_ _._

"Start explaining," I hissed, my eyes narrowing dangerously at the two of them. " _Now_ _._ "

Jaime cleared his throat, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck.

"Uh, well, Black Monarch, Nightwing told us to wait here until you came to get us, and we got bored, so Garfield and I wanted to test a theory. . . ?" He answered, although it sounded as though it were more of a question. I cocked an eyebrow, and he flinched, turning to glare at Garfield, who looked back at me with an apologetic smile.

"He's not incorrect," he squeaked. "We just wanted to know if eggs would explode when super-heated in an oven, and we kind of got into an argument over how  _long_ we needed to cook them for, and -"

"Stop!" I exclaimed, rubbing at my forehead. "Just. . . get this place cleaned up, okay?" Garfield and Jaime both nodded and began frantically bustling about the kitchen, scrambling around like two chickens with their heads cut off. I let out a groan and walked back down the hall, all the way to the boys' locker room.

_Oh_ _,_ _he_ _is_ _SO_ _dead_ _._

"Dick!" I snapped, shoving the door open. He was nowhere in sight.

_Must_ _be_ _on_ _the_ _main_ _level_ _._

I growled and slammed the door shut, stomping the entire way back to my room. I threw my door open and walked over to my desk, yanking the drawers open until I found my comm, and I quickly shoved it in my ear.

"Dick!" I snapped, waiting impatiently for him to radio back in. A few moments later, a small bit of static crackled through before he responded.

_"_ _Uh_ _,_ _yes_ _?"_ He replied, the innocence of his tone  _way_  too overdrawn. I huffed, drumming my fingers across the desktop.

"You left me behind to  _BABYSIT_ _?!_ " I hissed, growling again in frustration. Dick let out a nervous chuckle on the other end.

_"Well. . ."_ He drawled out, and I could literally  _hear_  him grinning cheesily.

"Dick," I snarled, my tone dripping with warning.

_"_ _I_ _know_ _,_ _I_ _know, but w_ _e_ _needed_ _to_ _keep_ _Beast_ _Boy_ _and_ _Blue_ _busy_ _because_ _we_ _didn't_ _need_ _them_ _on_ _this_ _one_ _,"_ he replied. I rolled my eyes.

"They're not little kids," I retorted, pacing back and forth across my room. "I thought that I was supposed to be 'healing' so that I can get better, not watching over the other _teenage_ members of the Team like some live-in nanny!" Dick sighed as he began mumbling to himself, and I cocked an eyebrow, even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"Speak up; I can't understand you," I muttered.

_"_ _I_ _was_ _just_ _responding_ _to_ _M'gann_ _._ _Anyway_ _,_ _I'm_ _sorry_ _that_ _I_ _didn't_ _tell_ _you_ _that_ _you_ _were_ _going_ _to_ _be_ _watching_ _those_ _two_ _._ _Can_ _I_ _make_ _it_ _up_ _to_ _you_ _?"_ He asked before he began incoherently mumbling again. I shook my head, running a hand through my hair.

_God_ _,_ _he_ _is_ _SO_ _frustrating_ _!_ I thought, puffing my cheeks as I let out an exasperated sigh.

_"_ _Something_ _wrong_ _?"_ He asked, and I shook my head again.

" _No_ ," I replied sarcastically. "By the way, you better start thinking of ways to make this up to me, and, trust me, Dick, you better go all out." He laughed.

_"Adrian_ _,_ _you_ _know_ _I_ _will_ _,"_ he answered, and I was about to reply when he suddenly gasped, mumbling more frantically than before; it was honestly a little worrying.

"Dick?" He didn't answer. "Nightwing! What's wrong?"

_"_ _Um_ _, it's_ _nothing, but_ _I_ _gotta_ _go,_ _"_ He quickly replied.  _"Love you;_ _Nightwing,_ _out._ _"_ A loud crash of static came over the comm link, and then they went silent. I sighed and reached up to take it out, but something made me hesitate.

_What_ _did_ _he_ _just_ _say_ _?_

My eyes widened a bit as I replayed his last statement in my head.

_Did_ _he_ _just_ _say_ _"_ _I_ _love_ _you_ _"?!_

A deep blush crept across my cheeks, and I slapped myself, breaking away from the thought.

_Ew_ _,_ _no_ _!_ _There's no way_ _-_

I hissed and grimaced as the loud static crackled in my ear again, and a frantic Nightwing broke through from the other end.

_"Adrian_ _? I_ _,_ _uh_ _,_ _I_ _don't -_ _I_ _just_ _,_ _uh -_ _"_ he stuttered, letting out an uneasy chuckle. I rolled my eyes and pursed my lips, deciding to take the comm away from my ear. Though I couldn't make out what he was saying, I stifled a laugh as I heard his frantic tone continuing to screech through. I turned the comm off and threw it in the desk drawer before sliding it shut.

"Payback, Grayson," I muttered to myself, smirking. 

* * *

"Alright, boys, how's it going?" I asked, pulling down the new shirt I'd put on that  _wasn't_ covered in egg as I walked into the kitchen.

My mouth literally fell open.

The entire kitchen was exactly how it'd been when Dick and I had been here earlier. The fridge was set upright, the counters and floor were spotless, and the oven no longer looked - or smelled -  like it was on fire. All in all, I was really impressed.

"Wow," I murmured, glancing over at Garfield and Jaime. They were sprawled out across the couch in the living room, passed out. Both were covered in food stains, still holding onto their cleaning rags, and they were snoring. Oh,  _God_ _,_ they were snoring.

I sighed and walked into the living room, looking down at their sleeping figures. They looked so calm; it was honestly making me a bit uneasy to see the extremely rowdy ones so. . . _still_. 

"Great, now  _I'm_  bored," I muttered, shaking my head as I absentmindedly looked around the room. I eventually glanced back down at the boys, and started giggling when I noticed Jaime's foot tickling Garfield's nose, causing the boy to twitch and squirm.

"Mmm. . ." He murmured, and I smiled a bit and leaned in, watching as he squirmed again, batting Jaime's foot away from his face.

"Mom. . ." He suddenly whispered, and I let out a light gasp as I saw a tear slipping down his cheek. I reached down and began running my fingers through Garfield's hair, shushing him quietly. He let out a little sniffle as I ran my thumb across his cheek, wiping the tear away.

"M-Mom. . ." He whispered again, his voice breaking. He began to cry, his sniffling growing more frequent. I reached over and grabbed his shoulder, shaking him gently.

"Garfield," I whispered; he didn't wake. I shook him a little more roughly.

"Gar," I said quietly, and he shuffled around a bit before he rolled over to face me, opening his eyes the tiniest bit.

"Black Monarch?" He murmured, blinking a few times as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Where am I - oh, crap! The kitchen! We've gotta -" I quickly clasped a hand over his mouth as I heard Jaime stir beside us; when he fell still again, I retracted my hand, and Garfield let out a sigh.

"Thanks, BM. Trust me, I  _know_ how cranky he is when he gets woken up," he said, chuckling. I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help it as a small smile managed to creep across my face.

_Why_ _was_ _he_ _talking_ _about_ _his_ _mother_ _?_ _Was_ _he_ _having_ _a_ _nightmare_ _?_ I glanced over at Gar, who let out a hearty yawn.

_I_ _wonder_ _if_ _I_ _can_ _do_ _anything_ _to_ _take_ _his_ _mind_ _off it_ _._

"Hey, Gar, wanna bake something for real?" I asked, gesturing toward the kitchen. He glanced at the kitchen and then back to me, nodding frantically.

"Yeah!" He exclaimed, quickly clasping his hands over his mouth as Jaime stirred again.

"Sorry," he whispered, giving me an apologetic look. I just rolled my eyes and pointed toward the kitchen.

"Come on," I said, and we both headed into the kitchen.

***

About an hour later, Gar and I were leaning up against the counter, chowing down on double fudge brownies. I smiled as I watch Gar stuff his face full, little bits of chocolate crumbs falling from his mouth and onto the counter.

"Are they any good?" I asked, taking a bite of my brownie. Garfield nodded, giving me a chocolate-filled smile. I giggled.

"Hey, Black Monarch -"

"You can call me Adrian, Gar," I interrupted, polishing off my brownie. "I'll let it slide." Garfield smiled at me. 

"Okay, Adrian," he began again, "can I ask you a personal question?" I nodded cautiously, picking up another brownie and taking a bite.

_What_ _kind_ _of_ _personal_ _question_ _?_ _And_ _exactly_ **_how_ ** _personal_ _?_

"Are you and Nightwing dating?"

I nearly did a spit take as I began choking on my brownie, and Garfield ran to the fridge and grabbed a carton of milk, reaching into the cabinets to grab a glass. I snatched the carton away from him and just began chugging the milk, not even bothering to give any notice to the fact that I was spilling it all over the floor.

"Uh, wow, that's gross," I heard someone mumble behind me - someone who wasn't Garfield.

"Oops, busted," Gar hissed, stepping behind the counter. I rolled my eyes, wiping the milk away from my face.

"Canary, Flash, and. . ." I smirked. "Hello, Nightwing." I turned around to face the three of them, and I was surprised to see Nightwing staring at the floor while the other two murmured quietly to each other. I watched for a second longer as Canary and Flash continued to whisper, and it was honestly starting to make me uneasy.

Something seemed off with those two, and I didn't like it.

"Clever girl," Canary said as she finished talking to Flash, who nodded in agreement. I nodded as well.

"Thanks," I replied curtly. "Now, are you going to continue to critique my eating habits, or are you going to tell me what you came here for?" Canary and Flash shared a glance before looking back to me.

"Well, first of all, Nightwing tells me that you were injured earlier today, and that you're on suspension for the next two weeks," Canary said, and I nodded again, glancing behind the two at Nightwing, who still continued to avoid looking in my direction.

"That is correct," I answered slowly, "but it was a simple training accident, and I want to do whatever I can to help in the meantime." I glanced over to Garfield, who was still ducking behind the counter, watching the whole ordeal. "Even if it means babysitting these weirdos again." Garfield grinned.

"I'm glad to hear that," Canary replied, "because, as of now, you are going to be working here instead of in the field. Until your injuries have healed, I want you to be our eyes and ears during a few of the upcoming missions, which means that we're putting a lot of trust in you."

I honestly didn't know what to say.

"Uh. . ." I muttered, looking from Canary to Flash. Canary stood with a firm, authoritative look on her face, while Flash just shrugged.

"Okay. . . I know how to run through the systems and such - I mean, I had a pretty great teacher." I glanced up and saw Nightwing shift a bit, the tiniest smile ghosting over his lips.

"Alright, then," Canary announced, clapping her hands together. "Since everyone just got back from their most recent mission, I suggest that you go say hi to everyone, and then get some rest. The more you rest, the quicker you heal." Flash nodded, giving me a thumbs up, and I sighed, glancing over at Garfield.

"Alright, Gar, fun's over," I said, playfully pouting at the boy. He groaned and stood up from behind the counter, folding his arms over his chest.

"Aw, but we had brownies!" He whined, glancing at the pan of brownies that sat on the counter in front of him.

"Brownies?" Flash suddenly piped up, snatching up the pan in one swift  _whoosh_ _._

"Help yourself," I muttered, watching as Flash polished off the rest of the brownies. He finished with an obnoxious belch and tossed the foil pan onto the ground, where it landed right beside a disgusted Black Canary.

_Geez_ _, h_ _e_ _and_ _Wally_ _are_ **_definitely_ ** _related_ _._

"Okay, so, Adrian, tomorrow, Nightwing is going to walk you through the basics of the mission files, and then we will be able to contact you from the Watchtower if anything else is needed, okay?" Canary said. I nodded in affirmation, and she shot a small wave as she turned and walked past Nightwing, disappearing down the hall, Flash following not too far behind her.

"Well, this is awkward," Garfield mumbled, looking back and forth between me and Nightwing. I let out a huff and lightly slapped the back of his head, earning a whine in return.

"It wasn't until you said anything," I hissed, shaking my head. Garfield just snickered and ran past me into the living room, jumping over the back of the couch. I groaned and turned back to Nightwing, who was, oddly enough, staring at me.

"What?" I asked, placing my hand on my hip. He shrugged.

"Nothing. I was just wondering about your shoulder," he said, gesturing to my arm. I scoffed.

"Are you  _still_ worrying about that?" I rolled my eyes as I walked across the kitchen, pausing right in front of him. I then hauled back and slugged him in the arm, causing him to wince.

"That hurt," he muttered, rubbing his bicep. I grinned.

"There; now, we're even," I said triumphantly. Nightwing chuckled.

"That makes me feel a little better," he replied. "Emotionally, not physically," he added, scrunching his nose. "Canary thought you well." I scoffed, turning my gaze to the floor.

"I don't rely on everyone to tell me what to do, you know," I murmured, stepping around him, but a hand on my wrist stopped me from going any further.

"You know that's not what I was implying," he said softly. I hesitated for a moment before nodding, shooting him a tiny smile over my shoulder.

"I know; it's just fun to mess with you." I brushed his hand away, giving him a little wave. "You know what? I feel like going out tonight." I turned on my heel and started off toward my room.

"Wait, I thought you were going to rest up!" Nightwing called after me. I simply shrugged, though I didn't slow down.

"If I can't be out in the field, then at least let me  _outside_ ," I answered, and I heard him let out a sigh from behind me as I continued on to my room. 


	3. Red. . .

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When you know someone like you for quite a few years, you tend to pick up on all of their tricks." 
> 
> "When you find out that one of your best friends is a traitor, you learn to never forgive or forget them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, introducing everyone's favorite archer. . . 
> 
> *I'm sorry about the weird italics; for some reason, they separate them out really far.

I threw off my sling, immediately regretting it as I felt a strong wave of pain shoot up my arm.

"Push through, Adrian. You can do it," I muttered, letting out an aggravated sigh. I walked over to my closet and pulled out a fitted black hoodie, some black leggings, and my favorite black sneakers; even though I had a hell of a time putting it on, I managed to get into my outfit and throw my hair into a loose braid that fell over my shoulder. I even grabbed a pair of fake glasses just for fun; I mean, what's the point of having a secret identity if you can't live it up a little?

"Perfect," I muttered, shooting myself a quick glance in the mirror before I pulled my hood up over my head. I was about to leave my room when I looked back to my desk.

"Comms, or no?" I whispered aloud, and, after a few moments of hesitation, just to be safe, I walked back and pulled my comm out of its drawer, placing it in my ear before grabbing my phone, too. "Better safe than sorry."

* * *

_Walking among normal people is relaxing_ , I thought as I strolled through Star City. When I'd taken the zeta tube, I hadn't expected Star City to be so sunny out; it was honestly kind of irritating, but what can I say? I'm a night owl. It was entertaining, though, to watch the officials try and start repairing the damage from the Team's earlier battle with the Kroloteans. There were chunks of brick and shards of glass littering the streets; hell, even some of the buildings that had previously lined the streets didn't even exist anymore - typical Superboy. Something was bothering me, though, and it wasn't the sun, or the messy city, either. I felt as though I was being watched; like someone was following me.

_You always feel this way, Adrian_. I sighed. My mind was right; my skepticism and paranoia are usually always on overdrive.

I continued to walk down the street until I reached a little café; I've always loved the place, mostly because they have the absolute best muffins I've ever tasted. I walked inside and ordered, taking my food to the outside patio. I pulled out a chair, sipping on my hot chocolate as I observed the surrounding area. There wasn't really much to look at; people on their lunch breaks, joggers littering the sidewalks, the constant ambiance of the city, itself. There was one thing in particular, however, that had captured my attention. A man was sitting across the café, and, even though he was inside the building, I could tell that he was staring at me through the window out of the corner of his eye.

_I could have **sworn**  that I saw that guy when I first stepped out of the zeta tube access port._ I looked over at the guy, who then not-so-nonchalantly shoved his face into the newspaper he was holding. I let out a light huff and stood from the table, eyeing him carefully as I threw my trash away and continued on past the café, toward a back alleyway only a few yards away.

Using my powers, I stood in the corner between two buildings and pulled the shadow over myself for cover; now, if anyone were to look at me, they would see nothing but darkness cast from the shadow - the perfect camouflage. My instincts were correct, because, within the next few minutes, the same man came wandering down the alleyway, though he didn't stop at the entrance. He continued on through the alley until he approached the corner, pausing only about a foot in front of me. I gulped. _He's way too close for comfort_.

Because he had his head bowed and was wearing a baseball cap, I couldn't quite see his face, so there was no telling what kind of creep was standing in front of me. I just stood as still as possible, refraining from fidgeting, or even breathing too loudly. The man shot a glance to both of his sides before taking another step toward me, almost pressing himself up against me, and I grimaced, my breath hitching in my throat.

"When you know someone like you for quite a few years, you tend to pick up on all of their tricks," he whispered, and my eyes widened. _No_.

"When you find out that one of your best friends is a traitor, you learn to never forgive or forget them," I hissed back, retracting the shadows that were concealing me.

"That's not fair," he muttered, and I rolled my eyes.

"I wasn't talking about being the mole all those years ago; I'm talking about your recent 'development'. And, besides, without your skill set or knowledge - not to mention, your lack of a spine - Vandal wouldn't have even been able to use you in the first place," I muttered as I reached up and removed my glasses; there was really no point to them anymore.

"I don't know whether or not to take that as a compliment, or an insult," he muttered. I shrugged.

"Not my problem," I retorted, and he chuckled.

"It's good to see you, too, Addy," he replied, cocking his head to the side. I scowled. 

"You haven't earned the right to continue calling me that." I gritted my teeth, doing my best to keep my cool. "So, who am I talking to, now? Red Arrow, or just another social reject that decided to throw away his friends and family?" I asked. Red didn't answer as he reached up and pushed my hood aside, and I scowled as I shoved his hand away, reaching up to snatch the hat from his head.

"At least I was gentle," he murmured, and I couldn't help but allow my scowl to harden as I looked him over. His appearance was utterly disgraceful; his dark red hair was so unkempt, and he'd let it grow out to a shaggy mess that nearly brushed the tops of his shoulders. His five o'clock shadow was darker than I would've preferred, and he looked tired without his mask on, his grey-blue eyes glazed over with exhaustion. 

"I'm still Red Arrow," he finally replied, pulling up the hem of his jacket so that I could see his red and black suit underneath. I only scoffed. "Hey, at least you know that it's me," he retorted, reaching up to fiddle around with my braid. "You know, I really did miss you all those years I was off doing my own thing." I huffed, clenching my jaw as I resisted the urge to snarl in disgust.

"You're _still_ off doing your own thing. No one has seen you in a really long time, and the last time you and I 'conversed', it ended with you simply nodding in my direction before disappearing. That's considered rude, if you ask me," I snapped. Red sighed, twirling the end of my braid around in his fingers.

"Well, Adrian, how would you feel if I told you that I was doing everything in my power to find the real Roy?" My heart nearly stopped beating.

"I swear to God, if you're lying, I will strangle you," I growled, my voice wavering the slightest bit. I wasn't kidding, either; Red knew how important Roy was to me - the REAL Roy - and to hear that he was trying to find him was both a great relief and a great concern for me.

"Though lying isn't an uncommon thing for me," he mumbled, rolling his eyes, "no. I wouldn't lie to you about something like this."

"You're going to get yourself killed, Red," I replied, shaking my head. "You need to be careful where you look. I don't want. . . I don't want to lose another one of you." Red's expression became softer, his baby blue eyes losing their sarcastic glimmer, and, even though I was crazy pissed at him, I couldn't help the light blush that crept across my face. Red smiled back, offering a halfhearted shrug. 

"You won't lose me," he muttered, and I felt my shoulders tense up as he leaned in a bit, "I promise." I frowned, pressing my back up against the wall behind me as far as I could.

"Good," I replied, slowly growing uncomfortable with how close he was getting. I liked Red, I really did, but I didn't want him this close to me. I was still angry with him, and this whole "finding the real Roy" thing was already sending my mind a little over the edge; I didn't need Red screwing with me, too. 

"Are you getting apprehensive?" Red whispered, his lips now right above my ear, and I shivered uncomfortably, nodding. "Is it because I remind you of him?" I honestly didn't know how to answer that time. "Or, maybe, it's because I remind you so much of him that you feel guilty about being around me because I know how much you love Richard Grayson, and you don't want to break his heart when he finds out." That time, my heart really did stop.

"Stop toying with me! You have no right to say that to me," I spat, glaring back into his ghostly blue eyes. "You don't know how I feel about Dick, or Roy, or anyone!" Red simply shrugged as his expression suddenly turned cold, almost no emotion visible. I shuddered; he actually looked reasonably frightening.

"You really don't realize how oblivious you are," he whispered, shaking his head. "I have Speedy's memories; I know how you used to look at him, how you used to speak to him, how you cared for him. I also know how he felt about you; he loved you. It may or may not have been platonic at the time, but he never would have wanted anything to happen to you. But, as soon as Roy disappeared for those three months, you almost immediately latched yourself to Dick, who was stupid enough to keep you around.

"When Roy was finally out of the picture, you let yourself fall in love with Dick. You can continue to deny it, but trust me when I say that everyone figured it out, even when we were young; even when he was Robin, you had feelings for Dick, and you still have feelings for Nightwing. Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, sweetheart, but he's already been wrapped around Zatanna's baby finger. Or, is it Barbra this time? Kori? There's already too many to remember, but, hey, maybe you'll be next! I guess I can only wish you good luck -" I hauled back and slugged him square in the jaw, and I had to bite into the sleeve of my sweatshirt to muffle the scream that came exploding from my throat, the pain from my shoulder almost too unbearable. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes as I struggled to choke down the cry that was dying to escape, and Red growled, holding the side of his face as he glared at me. 

"What the hell did you do that for?" He hissed, but I could only shake my head. I needed to leave; I couldn't stand being near him right now.

"I have no idea how long you've been following me, and frankly, I don't care." I was starting to let my anger grow, and the shadows that surrounded the two of us began to creep up Red's legs, rendering him unable to move away. "There was absolutely no reason for you to say that to me, and you've just gone to show that you really are just an asshole!" I shook my head in disgust, narrowing my eyes as sharply as I could. He didn't respond; he just continued to glare at me with his dull grey-blue eyes. I held my throbbing arm to my side, turning away from Red. "I'm going to leave now, and you're going to stay the hell away from me, as well as anyone else on the Team, understood?" I growled, pulling my hood back over my head. Red nodded, though it made my anger boil over when I took note that his expression was now firm, almost serious.

"Fine, I will; but, just remember," he began, holding his hand out in front of him, "Nightwing won't always be around to protect you - that is, if he even remembers that you're around. So, when the time comes that you're in need of your own hero, _Black Monarch_ ," he spat my name, making me flinch, "feel free to call anytime." With that, he clenched his fist until I heard a small _crunch_ , and he dropped my crushed comm on the ground in front of me. I gasped, my uninjured hand shooting to my ear. Yep, gone. _It must've been when he was messing with my braid. That bastard!_

"You're no hero," I hissed, forcing the shadow up the entire length of his body so that the only thing that remained free was his head. "And, furthermore, Nightwing and I are acquaintances, nothing more than teammates; not that it's any of _your_ business."

"Don't get too worked up; I'm just stating the obvious," Red muttered. I scoffed.

"And what would that be, exactly?" I asked, clenching my good fist so that the shadow tightened around his body.

"You won't even get close to me again because you're worried that when Roy comes back, he'll find out that you thought that I was him, and that the two of us wound up -"

"Stop it!" I snapped, throwing him against the wall beside us. "You know nothing! You quit the team six years ago, and within the several months it finally took me to trust you again as Red Arrow, you went and betrayed the people you once called a family! And me? _You_ didn't even know me to begin with, Red!" I felt the tears welling up in my eyes again, and I couldn't stop the few that slid onto my cheeks. I let out a shuddered sigh, turning my gaze to the ground. "The last time you even bothered to associate yourself with me, I was a child, and now, I'm a hero, a known name throughout the world, while you sit here, trying to escape the life that you were thrown into, rather than the one you would've wanted. So, stop throwing yourself a piss party and get on with your life! Stop tormenting me and find Roy; maybe then I'll have the courage to let myself be seen with you again." I looked back up to him, and I felt the slightest bit satisfied that he looked absolutely stunned. His expression was now a mixture of confusion, hurt, and shock; not that it surprised me. I wasn't the thirteen-year-old girl that had joined the Team after he'd ditched, anymore. I was a nineteen-year-old woman - a hero - ready to speak my mind and destroy anyone who dared to hurt my family. 

"I'm going to leave now," I whispered, releasing my hold on him. The shadows retreated back into the corner, and I began backing away toward the alley's exit as he steadied himself. "The next time I hear of you doing something idiotic that puts anyone in danger, you can hold me to my word when I say that I _will_ stop you, whether or not you're still under the protection of the Justice League." I glanced behind me at the exit for a moment before I turned back to face a still-frozen Red. He continued to stare at me with unblinking eyes, his mouth slightly agape. I couldn't help but let my mind wander for a second back to what he'd said, and I huffed, shaking my head.

_You know the real reason you're mad at him. You can't get angry at Red for being a clone. Not even **he** knew. Don't project the hurt you feel onto someone who doesn't deserve -_ I pushed my glasses back onto my face, cutting off my train of thought before I became even more conflicted than I already was.

"Don't follow me," I snapped. "You're a mess, and I don't want to be seen with you." I began to back away from him, keeping my gaze locked on his. "One more thing: don't expect me to keep my mouth shut around GA. He'll be happy to know that you're okay." With that, I turned and ran out of the alley before he had a chance to do or say anything to stop me. I ran to the next alley over and carefully pulled off my jacket, flipping it over so that I could pull off the tracer he'd planted on the hood.

_He's still the same old Red in some ways._ I threw the tracer on the ground, driving my heel into it to smash it into pieces. I then knotted my jacket around my waist and continued to run back to the zeta tube port a few streets down, not even bothering to acknowledge the strange looks I was receiving from pedestrians as I rushed by.


	4. In My Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I just wanna go to sleep. . ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! Posting this at, like, 1:30 in the morning on a school night.

I couldn't sleep that night.

After I'd gotten back to the Cave from my rather uncomfortable encounter with Red Arrow, I went directly to the Watchtower to find Green Arrow, who was borderline shocked when I'd told him about our conversation - not the details; just the fact that we'd actually had a conversation. I then told him where Red most likely still was, and GA promised to keep the whole "me running into Red" thing a secret, although he was definitely determined to find him; at this point, I honestly didn't even care about what GA was planning to do with Red.

I didn't speak to anyone else for the rest of the evening, locking myself in my bedroom. Cassie and Barbara had come by my room to try and cheer me up, but I wasn't in the mood for it, especially not when Zatanna had stopped by afterwards and tried to keep me company; pretty much any female trying to socialize with me pissed me off.

After Zatanna had left, the only thing running through my mind was what Roy had said earlier.

_'Or, maybe, it's because I remind you so much of him that you feel guilty about being around me because I know how much you love Richard Grayson, and you don't want to break his heart when he finds out?'_ I let out a loud growl, throwing my pillow across the room.

"Get out of my head!" I yelled, not even caring about the other people sleeping within the premises. After a moment of following silence, I let out a sigh before I looking down at my arm in its sling, and I couldn't help but scowl. 

After I had gotten back to Mount Justice - after my talk with Green Arrow - I had stormed off to my room and was greeted by Nightwing, who was sitting in my windowsill, messing around with my sling. He'd scolded me for taking it off, and it made me even more irritated when he'd insisted that he reapply it for me; that just made my earlier situation a lot more awkward, though the pain had already dulled by then, so at least its reapplication wasn't complete hell.

I groaned, staring up at the ceiling above me. As hard as I tried, I couldn't get myself to fall asleep. My mind was either thinking about Red Arrow and what he'd said, when Garfield had been crying earlier, the fact that the entire Team was fixated on stopping this stupid "alien invasion", or what had happened this afternoon with Canary and Flash. My mind hesitated over that though as I sat up in bed, running a hand through my disheveled hair, which had fallen out of its braid long before then.

"Why were they acting so secretive?" I wondered out loud, pursing my lips in thought. "Canary tried to play it off by acting like she was excited to have me working here at the Cave, but I know that's not what this is about. I mean, even _Flash_ was concerned." I let out a tired sigh, tilting my head back.

"I just wanna go to sleep," I whined, lying back on my bed. After a while, I tried closing my eyes, and the only image that appeared in my mind was when Red Arrow had mentioned how I used to "look at Speedy" and such. He wasn't exactly incorrect; I mean, what kid _wouldn't_ fawn over Green Arrow and his amazing little sidekick Speedy? Though I hated to admit it, I was a fangirl, too. I smiled as my mind drifted back to when I'd first laid eyes on Speedy, the real and very first Roy Harper.

I was nine, and he was just about to turn fourteen. He'd been with Green Arrow, dressed in his adorable red and yellow archer's costume, a bow in his hand and a smirk on his face. He and GA were perched atop a building next to the one I lived in with my aunt, and I was watching them take down some guy by the convenience store across the street. I was absolutely smitten when I saw Speedy shoot at the guy, fastening him to the wall. He then stood, and his profile was one of the most gorgeous things I'd ever seen; I mean, it was enough for nine-year-old me.

I smiled at the memory, and my mind then drifted back even further to the first time we'd actually conversed.

I, still nine, had been walking down the alleyway behind my apartment building, utterly paranoid that I was being followed. I kept hearing things crashing around in the distance, and Star City's natural ambiance didn't set me any more at ease. Just as I had reached the back door of the apartment complex I'd lived in, I heard someone shuffle around behind me, and I let out a shriek, immediately plastering myself to the wall and pulling the shadows up around me for cover. I sat on the dirty ground, my knees to my chest as I began to sob. I could still hear the footsteps getting closer, and then I saw two men walking down the alleyway. Their hooded cloaks had hidden their faces, and I'd been too terrified to even try to keep silent as they stopped in front of me.

_"She was just here,"_ one of them had whispered, the other nodding.

_"I can hear her crying, but she just. . . disappeared,"_ the other had replied. The first one, a bit taller than the other, bent down toward me, reaching out to touch the wall just beside my head. I'd been so scared that I shrieked again, allowing the shadows to slip away from my body, revealing myself.

_"Oh, she's just a little girl,"_ the other one had whispered, joining the taller one on the ground as he knelt down in front of me. He then reached out toward me, leaning forward. I whimpered, raising my own hand as I wrapped the shadow surrounding me around him, shoving him back against the building that sat behind the two. The taller one stood quickly, pulling a bow out from behind his cloak, and, within the next second, he was aiming an arrow at my head.

_"You **will** release him. Now,"_ the taller one had commanded, his firm and demanding tone only scaring me further. I'd had no idea who these two were, and, now, I was holding one of them hostage while the other one was threatening my life.

_"Ollie!"_ The other one grunted, struggling against my restraints. I'd gasped, placing both hands over my mouth as I released the man, the shadows slipping back to my side. The man grabbed his chest, kneeling on the ground as he went into a coughing fit. The taller one lowered his bow and walked over to the other one, helping him stand.

_"Why you little. . ."_ He'd snarled, stomping toward me. I gasped and grabbed the sides of my head as I began crying again.

_"Please, don't hurt me,"_ I'd whispered, shaking my head. " _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"_ The taller one grabbed the shoulder of the other, making him hesitate in front of me. They exchanged a glance and whispered to each other, too silently for me to understand. I just continued to cry, staring at the two of them wide-eyed. A few moments later, the taller one knelt down in front of me, pulling his hood away from his face. I gasped.

_"Y-You're Green Arrow!_ " I'd stuttered, the tears flowing down my cheeks coming to a standstill as I stood up in front of him, brushing the dirt from my jeans. He stood as well, smiling down at me.

_"That's right, little one; I'm Green Arrow,"_ he'd said, motioning to the other man beside him. My eyes widened, and I pointed at the other man, a grin spreading across my face.

_"Then, that makes you Speedy!"_ I'd squealed, practically jumping up and down in excitement. The other man nodded, pulling down his hood to reveal the red-haired boy with a half-smile on his face. I'd then gasped, remembering my actions just a few moments ago. _"Oh, my God, I almost strangled **the** Speedy! Oh, man, I am **so** sorry!"_ I'd exclaimed, the tears in my eyes beginning to peak again. Green Arrow had then bent down in front of me, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

_"Sweetheart, it's okay,"_ he'd said softly, giving me a kind smile. _"It wasn't your fault. We scared you -"_

_" **We** scared **you** ,"_ Speedy had interrupted, scoffing. _"I almost died a few minutes ago, you know."_ I'd looked down at the ground in shame, sniffling as the guilt washed over me again.

_"I'm sorry,"_ I'd muttered. I then heard a loud _snap_ , and I'd looked up to see Green Arrow frowning at Speedy, who was rubbing the back of his head. I'd smiled and started giggling, gaining both of their attention.

_"I'm sorry,"_ I'd said, and Green Arrow just smiled back at me.

_"It's alright,"_ he'd answered, leaning in close to my ear. _"If you ask me, he had it coming."_ I'd started laughing again, and Green Arrow chuckled, as well.

_"Now, sweetheart,"_ he began, placing a hand on my shoulder, _"you possess a special ability that I've never seen before."_ I remembered being confused as I cocked my head to the side.

_"Are you talking about the shadows?"_ I'd asked, and he nodded in reply.

_"Yes, exactly,"_ he'd answered. _"How did you manage to obtain these abilities? Can you tell me?"_ I'd shrugged, not exactly knowing the answer, myself. I'd had the powers for as long as I could remember, and I had no idea as to how I'd obtained them. My aunt knew about them, but I could tell that it made her apprehensive. She'd almost never let me out on my own, this night being an exception.

_"Well, this poses as a problem,"_ Green Arrow had murmured, and I'd hummed in response.

_"Why?"_  Green Arrow sighed.

_"Well, I don't know how you've managed to control the shadows so well, but I think that I'm - **we're** \- going to have to keep an eye on you,"_ he replied, smiling. I'd honestly been ecstatic; having two superheroes protecting me was absolutely exciting. I frantically nodded, looking from Green Arrow to Speedy, and the smile on my face grew as I looked him up and down. He was admittedly pretty astounding for a thirteen-almost-fourteen-year-old. 

_"S-Stop staring, kid,"_ he'd murmured, looking away from me, and I'd huffed and folded my arms over my chest.

_"I am not a kid! I am almost ten,"_ I'd muttered, looking back to Green Arrow as he began to laugh.

_"You're a feisty little one, aren't you?"_ He'd said, poking my forehead, and I'd only giggled in reply.

_"Oh, no, I have to go home!_ " I'd suddenly exclaimed, remembering that my aunt had been expecting me back home. I gave the two of them a quick wave before running to the door only a few feet away from me, throwing it open and running up the stairs until I reached my floor.

After that, I hadn't told anyone about my encounter with the two of them, whether it was to not draw too much attention to myself, or some other reason. GA kept his word, and every so often, I would see the two of them perched on a building within close proximity to mine, most of the time simply out on patrol, but it was still just as fascinating to me. When my aunt had passed away when I was thirteen, Green Arrow had taken me in, and I had to live with him and Roy, who would always hover over me protectively. I enjoyed having them around, though; in all honesty, the two of them were kind of the reason that I wanted to become a legitimate hero in the first place. I wanted to save people like they did, and, soon, my wish came true. While I didn't become Green Arrow's protegee, or anything, one day, when I was still thirteen, he and Speedy - the _cloned_ one - took me to meet the big man himself: Batman. It was at that point that I also met Robin.

It had been a great day for me - meeting Kid Flash and Aqualad was fun, and then a few weeks later, Superboy joined the team, and then M'gann, and then Artemis. But, by that time, Speedy had gone solo and become Red Arrow. I never knew why he was always so hostile toward all of us, though; we'd been his friends for years. I mean, Roy'd always been so protective of me since I'd met him, so I didn't understand. When they'd told us that he'd been cloned, I was completely devastated, because that meant that the Roy I'd been associating with for the past four years had been a fake. Five years later, here I am, conflicted over the fact that we may be close to finding the _real_ Speedy.

I'd made a promise to myself five years ago, when I'd first found out that Red was not the real Roy, that I would be there when they found the real Speedy, and that I would do whatever I could to help him. _But. . . it's been years. What if he doesn't even remember me? What if he hates me? Oh, God; what if he hates all of us? What -?_

"Adrian! Wake up!" Someone yelled, violently shaking me. My eyes snapped open, and I shrieked, shoving away the hands that had been gripping my shoulders.

"What do you want?!" I hissed, turning to look at M'gann and Garfield, who were both looking back at me with perplexed expressions. I allowed my breathing to even out a bit more before I let out a tired sigh and ran a hand through my hair, which was disgustingly damp.

"Ew," I muttered before glancing down at my body, which, I was surprised to find, was absolutely _drenched_ in sweat. I cringed and rubbed at my eyes with the palm of my hand, looking back to M'gann. "I'm sorry, you two. Did you need something?" M'gann gave me a small smile, reaching over to delicately place a hand on my shoulder.

"Garfield heard you screaming, and he came to my room to wake me up," she said, gesturing to Garfield, who was staring at me worriedly. I glanced over to Garfield and smiled, giving him a curt nod.

"Thanks, Gar," I murmured, and he smiled back at me. I then looked back to M'gann. "Why was I screaming?" She shrugged, glancing down at Garfield.

"He's the one who heard you," she replied, nudging Gar's shoulder, who shot her a frown before turning back to me.

"Well, I could hear you crying, and every so often, you just kept screaming 'Roy! Roy!'" He answered. He then cocked an eyebrow as he folded his arms across his chest, looking at me suspiciously. "You're not cheating on Nightwing, are you?" He asked, and my eyes widened exponentially before I groaned, hanging my head in defeat.

"Nightwing?" M'gann asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"We're not dating!" I whined, flopping backward onto my sweat-drenched sheets. I cringed and immediately sat back up, shuttering in disgust. "Can you tell me what time it is?" I asked, yawning.

"It is currently 6:19 AM," M'gann answered, and I shot up out of bed, running over to my dresser.

"What's wrong?" Gar asked as I frantically grabbed a few things from my closet before running down the hall to the bathroom.

"I was supposed to be up by now!" I yelled back down the hall. "M'gann, I need your help, please!" I heard her phase through the wall beside me, and she used her telekinesis to help me remove my shirt and bottoms so that I could get in the shower. After a nice, short, hot shower, with M'gann waiting patiently for me on the toilet, keeping me company - her company, I could stand - she helped me get dressed, and even blow-dried my hair for me.

"Thank you," I muttered as I finished strapping my sling back on. "What time is it now?"

"I believe that it's 6:44 AM," she replied, and I was out the door before she even had a chance to say anything else.


	5. Another One?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Impulse; that's so crash!" 
> 
> "Crash?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the italics are messed up *sighs*

As I made my way to the Mission Room for my first assignment as a "resident agent", I ran into Cassie and Barbara, who began telling me all about a trip they'd taken to Bialya with Bumblebee and M'gann the previous night. I was honestly a little surprised that M'gann hadn't said anything to me about it earlier, though.

 _Probably because_ _you_ _ran_ _out_ _on_ _her_ _before_ _she_ _could_   _say_   _anything_ ,  _Adrian_ _._ I mentally face-palmed.

 _Right_ _._

". . . and then Babs totally shut Nightwing up with a snarky little comment she had hidden in her utility belt!" Cassie exclaimed, letting out a hearty laugh. I shook my head, clearing away my thoughts as I focused in on our conversation.

"I'm sorry, what about Nightwing?" I asked, giving them an apologetic smile, and they both exchanged a bored glance before looking back to me.

" _That's_ the only part that you paid attention to?" Barbara asked, shooting me a sly smirk. I averted my gaze, though I could literally _feel_ the smugness emanating off of the two.

"Sorry," I muttered, "my head is somewhere else right now." They both rolled their eyes at me, and Cassie then cocked her head to the side before pointing at my arm, which was still contained within its sling.

"What happened to you while we were gone, Adrian?" She asked, drawing Barbara's attention to it, as well. I sighed, holding a hand to my head as I let out a dry chuckle.

"Nightwing happened," I replied, and the two girls exchanged confused glances, shrugging at one another.

"Uh, have either of you seen Jaime this morning? I was going to thank him for cleaning the kitchen yesterday," I asked, changing the subject. Cassie shook her head.

"Nah, he went home last night, but he said that he wouldn't be here today because his friend Ty went missing, or something like that. . ." Cassie trailed off, her gaze drifting away behind me. I smiled at the blonde-headed ditz while Barbara just sighed.

"Yeah, we even questioned a few of the kids we brought in last night, and they said that they didn't know anyone named Ty," she said, folding her arms over her chest. I frowned, placing a hand on my hip.

"What kids?" I asked.  _When_ _did_ _we_ _bring_ ** _kids_** _in_ _here_ _?_ _And,_ _why_ _didn't_ _I_ _know_ _about_ _it?_

"The refugees that we rescued," Cassie piped up, coming back from her stupor. "Aw, you shoulda seen it, Adrian! Babs and I were ALPHA SQUAD! Can you believe it?!" She squealed, grinning like an idiot. I chuckled halfheartedly, trying to keep a hold of my patience as I waited for her to answer my question. "Anyway, we saved, like,  _tons_ of kids from Devastation, Icicle Jr, Mammoth, and Simon, and then we brought them back here, and then we questioned them, and then we set them free!" She babbled, making large gestures with her hands. I lightly clenched my fists at my sides as I listened to her story, growing more annoyed and frustrated with every word that came out of her mouth.

"Excuse me," I interrupted kinda harshly, "I'm need to go talk with Nightwing." I brushed past the two, listening to them murmur to each other as I walked - more like stormed - to the Mission Room. As I made my way down the hall, I could hear Nightwing speaking to Tim and Garfield about something, and I slowed my pace as I neared the hall's exit, not even feeling the slightest bit guilty for eavesdropping.

". . .the closest word we have for it is. . . metagene," Nightwing mumbled. I frowned.

 _Metagene_? I thought, shaking my head.  _What's_ _a_ _metagene_ _?_

"What's a metagene?" Tim asked, voicing my thoughts.

"Never met a Gene I didn't like," I heard Gar reply, snickering lightly. I chose that moment to step out of the hallway, walking over to the three of them.

"Nightwing," I growled, "I need to speak with you for a second." I shoved past Gar and Tim, stepping up to Nightwing, who just gave me a confused look.

"What do you want, Adrian?" He asked. I could literally  _feel_  Tim and Garfield gawking curiously at us as we conversed, but I continued to ignore them.

"You didn't -" I started, suddenly getting interrupted by a siren blaring throughout Mount Justice.

" _Warning_ _:_ _unknown_ _energy_ _impulse_ _detected_ _,"_ the automated voice announced, and the four of us gathered in the center of the room, back-to-back.

"Adrian, get out of here," Nightwing ordered, his eyes darting around the room. "You can't -"

"Don't even give me that 'you can't fight because you're hurt' crap," I snapped. "I still have one good arm; two, if needed." Nightwing growled beside me, but that only meant that I had won this argument.

The four of us continued to look around the room, alert, as a layer of cumulonimbus clouds began gathering above the mountain. Nightwing gasped, and the four of us turned to see a giant ball of. . . electricity. . . forming in the center of the room. I clenched my fists at my side, watching in awe as it continued to expand.

"Nightwing. . . ?" I asked, my tone rising with worry. He didn't answer; he continued to stare at the orb as it grew brighter. I shielded my eyes from the light, and in the blink of an eye, it subsided, and I uncovered my eyes to reveal a giant, metal. . . thing.

"What is that?" I whispered. Nightwing shook his head, placing a hand out to guard the other three of us.

"Stand ready," he snapped, pulling out his kali as Tim pulled out his staff. I took a step back, ready to use my powers if needed; I already had shadows creeping across the floor in our direction.

The door to the metal pod flew open, allowing a cloud of smoke to escape. I narrowed my eyes to peer through the smoke, swearing that I'd seen something inside. Then, something suddenly grabbed the edges of the doorway, and out flung a. . . child?!

"Ta-da!" He exclaimed, striking a pose as he plastered a cheesy grin across his face. I stared at the kid, absolutely dumbfounded.

"What. . . in the actual hell. . . ?" I muttered, gawking at the kid, who was dressed in a red and beige suit with goggles that reminded me of. . . Wally and Barry?

 _Hold_  up _. . ._  I narrowed my eyes a bit, and my mouth suddenly fell open. _Holy_ _shit_ _!_ _He_   _looks_ _just_ _like -_

 _"_ _Intruder_ _alert_ _!"_ The automated siren blasted through the Cave, breaking my train of thought.

"Computer, lock down cave," Nightwing ordered, lowering his kali. I noticed that Tim had lowered his staff, so I stood up straight, but kept the shadows at a safe distance, just in case.

"Well, I think we found our unknown energy impulse," Garfield muttered, glancing over to Nightwing and then to me. I shook my head, not daring to take my eyes off of the kid.

 _Where_ _the_ _hell_ _did_ _he_ _even_ _come_ _from?_ This was getting weird. 

"Impulse; that's so crash!" The kid exclaimed, his grin growing even wider. I cocked an eyebrow, looking this kid up and down.

"Crash?" I muttered, utterly confused.

"Catchy, dramatic, one word," the kid continued, completely ignoring me as he suddenly disappeared, reappearing beside me within the same second. I gasped and backed away into Nightwing, who tensed up behind me.

 _He_ _even_ _has_ _superspeed_ _!_ What the hell was with this kid?

"Well, _hello_ to you, too," the kid purred, eyeing me up and down. I grimaced, waving my hand so that the shadows would come closer. Just as they were about to wrap around his feet, Nightwing nudged me, telling me to back off. I did so with caution.

"Okay, so, you're Nightwing, and you're Robin, and you're Beast Boy," the kid announced, speeding over to each one of them. He then looked over at me, frowning a bit.

"Huh. Don't know  _you_ ," he muttered, and I let out a growl, gritting my teeth together. 

"Adrian; Adrian Anderson," I muttered, placing my hand on my hip. The kid placed a finger on his chin, looking away for a split second. His gaze traveled to the shadows that were writhing around beside us, the ones I had control of, and his eyes suddenly lit up as he grinned.

"Oooh!" He exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "You're the Shadow Moth!" I glanced at Nightwing before looking back to the kid.

"' _Shadow Moth'_?" I asked. The kid nodded.

W _ait_ _,_ _then,_ _what_ _happened_ _to_ _'_ _Black_ _Monarch_ _'?_

"Yeah! Although, where I'm from, some people still refer to you as 'The Black Monarch' because your beauty and power is dark and unmatched; that of a queen," he said, letting out a sigh as he stared up at me. "Either way, we know you by both names, so you should feel flattered! I gotta ask, though, what is it with you and bug names? I mean, your suits are both super hot, but  _bugs_?"

I drew away from him and cocked an eyebrow at Nightwing, who shook his head. 

"Okay, then, where exactly  _are_  you from?" I asked cautiously. There was something extremely off about this kid, and it was making me really apprehensive.

" - never mind; Impulse can find that out for himself!" The kid exclaimed, completely ignoring me again. He went to the hallway, letting out an excited laugh as he sped away. Nightwing growled.

"You two, take him down," he ordered, sending Robin and Beast Boy after him. I crouched and jumped so that I could start flying after them, but stopped mid-leap when I felt something grab a hold of the back of my shirt, jerking me back.

"Hey!" I snapped, turning back to face Nightwing. "I'm fine! Just let me go, already!" Nightwing frowned, releasing the back of my shirt.

"I'm only letting you go so that you can return to your room," he replied firmly. My mouth fell open in disbelief, and I scoffed.

"Oh, come on! You cannot just expect me to -" He grabbed my bicep and turned down a different hallway, dragging me behind him.

"Let me go!" I snapped, attempting to wriggle out of his grasp, but he was holding onto me too tightly, and there was nothing I could do. I growled loudly in frustration as we reached my room, and I was pushed through the door.

"Don't come out," he demanded, turning to leave. "I'll be monitoring the hallways for that kid, and I'll know if you leave." I scowled and turned away from him, slamming my door in his face without replying.

"Screw you, Dick Grayson!" I yelled, kicking my door. I didn't get a reply, just the sound of faint footsteps running back down the hall in the direction we'd come from. I walked over to my bed, flopping down on the comforter.

As I laid back on my bed, I could hear the commotion of the chase coming from outside my door, and, having nothing better to do, I decided to listen in.

 _"Faucets. . . Retro!"_  The kid exclaimed.

 _'Retro'_ _?_ _Who_ _even_ _says_ _that_ _anymore_ _?_

After that, I heard Beast Boy growling as a set of footsteps pattered around the kitchen, and I huffed, shaking my head.

 _They_ _better_ _not_ _be_ _messing_ _up_ _the_ _freaking_ _kitchen_ _. . ._ I swear to God. 

 _"Limbo time!"_  The kid suddenly exclaimed. I frowned, looking over at my door. 

 _'Limbo'_ _?_ _What_ _. . ._

 _"Haha!"_  The kid laughed.  _"Can't catch me that -!"_  He then suddenly let out a loud grunt, and I sighed.

 _Sounds_  l _ike_ _he_ _ran_ _into_ _Nightwing_ _._ I let out an irritated growl. _He_ _gets_ _to_ _have_ _all_ _the_ _fun_ _. . ._

I stared at the back of my door, sulking.

"Where the hell did that kid even come from?" I muttered out loud.

* * *

I was still lying on my bed when I heard footsteps walking down the hallway in my direction. They stopped in front of my door, and, after a moment of hesitation, there was a light knock.

"What?" I groaned, my voice muffled as I buried my face into my pillow.

 _"Uh. . . the kid escaped, and he's heading for Central City,"_ came the response. I lifted my head from my pillow, letting out a loud, obnoxious, sarcastic laugh.

"You mean to say that you, Dick Grayson -  _Nightwing_ \- let a kid escape from your grasp?" I gasped dramatically. "Oh, if only you'd had a way to contain him indefinitely. . . Oh, wait; you did!" I jumped up off of my bed, walking over to my door and throwing it open, getting right up in Nightwing's face. "I could've captured him! My shadows are stronger than you think!" Nightwing shook his head, folding his arms across his chest.

"He vibrated right through the hand cuffs," he muttered, staring at the floor. I flicked the side of his head, earning a grunt of disapproval.

"Um, hello, genius?" I snapped, shaking my head. "Even if I can solidify a shadow into an animated object -  _like_ _a_ _restraint_ _-_ he wouldn't have been able to escape! It's still made of  _light_ particles, not solid matter! The fact that I make the shadows into animate objects doesn't mean that he can vibrate through light particles! They're not the same thing!" I exclaimed, scoffing as I turned back around and slammed my door shut behind me.

 _"I called Wally. . . He and Flash are tracking the kid down,"_ Nightwing mumbled softly, his voice muffled through the door. I gave a little two-fingered salute, even though he couldn't see me.

"Thanks for the update," I snapped, flopping back down onto my bed. "I swear, Dick Grayson, you annoy me more than anyone else on the planet." I heard him mumble something under his breath before his footsteps began to fade back down the hallway, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes again. 

 


	6. Just When I Think I'm Getting Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You seem a little too preoccupied nowadays, Nightwing. Don't think that I don't know that there's something big going on around here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this story seems boring; I promise, it'll get better soon.

I guess I'd fallen asleep after being put in "solitary confinement", because I woke up in bed with a cold washcloth on my forehead. I let out a tired groan, rubbing at my eyes with the palm of my hand.

"Oh, good! You're awake."

My eyes shot open and I quickly sat up, ignoring the pain in my shoulder as I pushed myself up against my headboard, the ice-cold washcloth falling into my lap. I winced as the cold, wet object made contact with my skin, but the wince was mostly directed at the sudden headache that formed in my right temple.

"Who's there?" I snapped, trying my best to see through the darkness of my room. I could've easily just moved the shadows aside, but the voice didn't seem threatening. Actually, it sounded more. . . _enthusiastic_. Not only that, but my headache was messing with my ability to concentrate at the moment. 

"Relax, it's just me." The kid from earlier appeared at the foot of my bed, still dressed in his red and beige suit. My eyes widened as I looked over to my door, which was still closed.

"Um, how exactly did you get in here?" I asked, glancing back over at him. He simply shrugged and jumped onto my bed, the force of the bounce causing me to tip forward onto my mattress. I landed on my good arm, shooting him a scowl as I pushed myself back upright.

"Sorry," he murmured sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. I sighed and shook my head, waving him off. He moved to sit cross-legged at the end of my bed, just a few feet away from me.

"It's fine; now, tell me why you're in my room," I replied, narrowing my eyes at him. "And, by the way, who are you, anyway?" Good Lord, it felt good to finally be able to ask that question. The kid cleared his throat, pursing his lips as he averted his gaze from me.

"Well, first of all, I vibrated right through the door; it was actually quite easy," he replied with a smile, and I slowly recalled when Nightwing had told me about that earlier, when he'd said that the kid had phased through the handcuffs. 

"Okay," I murmured, "then, I guess that it's safe to assume that you have superspeed, seeing as you can vibrate your molecules at such an alarming rate." The kid nodded enthusiastically. "So, now that  _that's_  been taken care of, who are you?" 

"Glad you asked, beautiful. I'm Bart Allen, grandson of Barry Allen, but you can call me Bart, Bart Allen, Impulse, Bart Impulse Allen; it's all crash," he replied, grinning confidently. I blinked a few times as I registered what he'd just said.

"Wait, 'grandson'?" I repeated, frowning. "Allen doesn't even have any kids." Bart, I've decided to call him, shook his head, folding his arms over his chest.

"I'm from the future, babe," he replied, and I felt my mouth fall open as I gawked at him. None of this made any sense. 

"That's not possible," I whispered, shaking my head, and I immediately regretted it as the headache throbbed in my skull. I rubbed my temple, whispering silent curses to myself.

"Believe it, Adrian," a deeper voice, though not much deeper than Bart's, came from beside the door, and I scoffed as Nightwing appeared beside my bed, stepping out of the shadows.

"Why do you guys insist on breaking into my room at -" I paused so I could reach over to my desk and grab my phone, but it wasn't where I'd left it. I felt around for it on the mattress before I took hold of the blanket that had been covering my body. It didn't feel. . . _right_.

"We're not in my room, are we?" I deadpanned, and both boys shook their heads. I let out a loud, whining groan as I buried my face in my hand.

"Where am I?" I muttered.

"Well, it's kind of my fault," Bart replied, and I turned my head to look at him. He gave me an apologetic look before glancing at Nightwing.

"I wanted to formally introduce you two," said Nightwing, gesturing between me and Bart, "so I brought him to your room, where you were pacing around like a crazy person -"

"I resent that," I murmured, scowling at him; he ignored me.

"- and when you saw the two of us, you got really mad and started walking over to us, but -" This time, Bart interrupted.

"- you tripped and hit your head on your desk!" He finished. "I was able to catch you before you actually hit the ground, but you were out cold. That's why you're in the, uh, medical place."

"But, I don't remember any of that," I murmured, ignoring the headache as I racked my brain to remember hitting my head, or even being carried here, or anything that led up to me winding up in the Med Bay. I then looked over to Nightwing, who was reading something off of a clipboard.

"What's that for?" I asked. 

"You don't seem to have a concussion," he said, not looking up from the clipboard, "which is miraculous, since you hit your head hard enough to render you unconscious, although. . ." I just rolled my eyes as he trailed off, my gaze falling to my lap.

"Can you at least tell me what time it is?" I asked, rubbing at my face with my fingertips. Nightwing glanced at the clock resting on the counter beside the sink on the other side of the room.

"2:18 PM," he answered. I groaned and laid back on the bed, earning a loud crinkle from the paper-like sheets.

"Wait; if you're from the future, then why are you still here?" I asked, glancing at Bart, and then at Nightwing. "And, when did you two become such great friends?" Bart shrugged.

"Well, since I'm gonna be staying here, this guy and I needed to form a little acquaintanceship," he replied, smiling. I let out a huff and closed my eyes, allowing my good arm to rest over them.

"Okay," I murmured, not even bothering to put anymore thought into the matter; I was honestly too stressed out about the new situation to think about it anymore.

 _But,_ _that_ _would_ _explain_ _why_ _you_ _though_ _t_ _that_ _Bart_ _looked_ _almost_ _exactly_ _like_ _Wally_ , _and_ _why_ _he_ _has_ _superspeed_ _._ I sighed. Sometimes, my brain just  _had_  to have the last word.

"Well, if you're awake now, then I'm going to leave you to get showered and cleaned up," Nightwing muttered, motioning for Bart to follow him as he turned and walked over to the door, though Bart didn't move from his perch at the foot my my bed.

"Uh, Grayson? She was unconscious for a pretty long time," he said, gesturing to me. "We don't even know if she can walk without falling over again." I opened my mouth to agree before I paused, frowning as I looked between the two.

"Hold up; he knows your name?" I asked, and Nightwing paused, though didn't turn back to look at us.

"He already knew my name," he muttered, "and I agree; we should see if you can actually accommodate for yourself before asking you to do anything." I gritted my teeth as I forcefully pushed myself off of the bed, ignoring Bart's concerned comments as I stormed over to Nightwing. I grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him to face me, hauling back and slapping him across the face. . .  _hard_ _._

The slap echoed through the room for a few seconds afterward, and I slowly retracted my hand, though Nightwing didn't move; he kept staring at the ground, his head turned from the force of the slap. Bart sat motionless on the bed, staring wide-eyed at the two of us.

"You seem a little too preoccupied nowadays, Nightwing. Don't think that I don't know that there's something  _big_ going on around here," I growled, and I could feel a wave of tears peaking in my eyes as my anger began to overtake me. "You need to tell me _everything_ that's been happening. I don't care  _how_  bad it seems to be getting; you will tell me  _everything_ that I need to know." I angrily gritted my teeth as I stared at him, waiting for him to answer me. After a few moments of silence, he stood up straight, looking down at me with a blank expression.

"A few says ago, a Krolotean base blew up, but we managed to apprehend one of their kind. It was taken unto custody, and we questioned it. We learned of a few of their plans, but we still need more intel. We also learned that Kaldur'ahm is working with Black Manta. M'gann and Connor also went to an alien planet with Garfield and a scientist, Dr. Strange, and they discovered an alien ship docked at the planet. M'gann further investigated and interrogated another one of their kind, gaining us more information of their plans.

"Soon after that, I sent the girls to investigate a hidden base in Bialya that was identified as a meeting place for Devastation, Icicle Jr, Mammoth, and Simon Says. They investigated the premises and returned with an entire shipment of kidnapped children, who were questioned and then sent back to their homes. Blue and Connor also stopped an 'elemental monster' that all but destroyed the Hall of Justice, as well as a nuclear power plant. After that, Bart showed up, and while you were in your room, he, Wally, Flash, and Jay defeated Neutron, and we further discovered that the genetic makeup of Bart matches that of Iris and Barry, therefor proving that he _is_ Barry's grandson. Other than that, there is no more that I am at liberty to discuss with you until the time comes."

With that, he turned and walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

I didn't even know what to think about anything, anymore. I had already known about the Krolotean base being blown up, and a little bit about the girls finding the kids, but, other than that, I didn't know  _anything_ _._ All of the things that everyone had been keeping from me these past weeks. . . It was horrifying. _I've been on this team for years, much longer than some of the others. Do I still not have their respect? Do they think I'm too stupid to understand the severity of these situations? Do the think I'm not fit to be a part of this team?!_

"Do they think I'm completely  _worthless_?!" I yelled, turning on my heel to punch a filing cabinet beside me. The metal object landed with a crash a few feet away, an enormous dent imprinted on one side. I growled in frustration, turning to storm out of the Med Bay, until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I gasped, jerking my head to the side to see Bart with a surprised look on his face. I couldn't tell if it was shock or fear that shimmered in his peridot-green eyes, but, whatever it was, I knew that it wasn't anything good; I'd probably freaked him out.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice breaking to the point of being almost inaudible. "I forgot that you were here." Bart gave me a small smile.

"It's okay," he replied, patting my shoulder. "If it helps, _I_ don't think that you're worthless." I let out a broken chuckle at his comment, wiping away a few more tears with the back of my hand.

"I appreciate that," I whispered, returning his smile.

***

I hadn't spoken to Nightwing for the past couple of weeks. Nothing much had really happened within that time period -  _that I knew of_ , anyway. In that time, I'd gotten to know Bart a little better; he was actually a pretty chill guy. I heard that he was going to be staying with either Jay or Barry, so I wasn't too worried when he'd said that he wouldn't be around as much. Still, the fact that he was from the future was a little bothersome, and something still didn't sit right with me about it. Then again, there were a lot of things that didn't sit right with me nowadays. 

It was now about 8:30-ish in the morning, and, after spending the past couple weeks getting checkups for both my head and my shoulder, I learned that I didn't have a concussion - double-checking what Nightwing had said wouldn't hurt; I didn't exactly trust him these days - and I got the all-clear to _finally_  be rid of that awful sling! The only things that was still irritating me about it, though, was that I still wasn't allowed to go into the field for another week and a half, much to my annoyance. It'd already been about two weeks since I'd injured myself, but the doctors said that they "just wanted to be sure". I groaned and walked into my bathroom.

I took a long, hot shower and got dressed, pulling my long, brown hair into a wet braid as I made my way to the kitchen. I turned on the TV in the living room, watching mindlessly as I looked around for something to eat.

 _". . .it's not enough that we've been invaded by aliens; now we're going out of our way to contact them!"_  Gordon Godfrey announced, and I rolled my eyes as I grabbed a box of cereal, skipping the bowl and just eating it out of the box.

I sighed and turned off the TV, placing the box back in the cabinet after I'd had enough of hearing Godfrey's crap for a while. I placed my hand on the counter in front of me, letting out a small sigh.

Even though I'd been mad at Nightwing, I didn't think that I should've slapped him. It was a childish move, and he may or may not have deserved it. . .

"But, I need to be the bigger woman and apologize," I finished my train of thought aloud, groaning. I pushed myself off of the counter and started walking to the Mission Room, and I could hear Nightwing talking to someone as I neared the room.

 _Good_ _,_ _he's_ _here_ _._ I entered the room and stopped in my tracks as I saw Connor, Malcolm, and Nightwing looking at holographic pictures that were filling the room; pictures of Bart. . . and  _Red_. My mouth fell open as my gaze eventually drifted to a photo of Red lying in a hospital bed. . .  _with_ _his_ _ARM_ _missing_ _._

"Oh, my God," I whispered, tears prickling my eyes as I stared at his dormant form. He was pale, much too pale for my liking, and he didn't look healthy. He did, however, look different from the last time I'd seen him, which was only a little while ago.

". . . he's at Royal Memorial hospital in Star City. . ." Nightwing said, gesturing to Red. I let out a silent sigh of relief.

_At_ _least_ _he's_ _safe_ _-_

". . . with both Green and Red Arrows watching over him."

 _No_ _._ My hand flew to my mouth as I gasped, staring at Red's picture.

 _If_ _. . ._ _if_ _that's_ _not_ _Red_ _Arrow_ _,_ _then_ _that_ _must_ _be_ _. . ._ The tears began flowing down my cheeks as I shook my head, taking another step into the room.

They'd found the real Roy Harper. 

A wave of mixed emotions washed over me, and I didn't know whether to feel relieved that they'd found the real Roy, devastated because he'd lost his arm, confused because he didn't look. . . like he should, completely overjoyed that I could see Roy again, or utterly pissed that Nightwing hadn't bothered to tell me that the one person I'd been the closest to was now back in my life; for  _real_ , this time.

Just the same as any other situation, my anger pulled through first, and I lowered my hand to my side, clenching my fists as I slipped further into the room.

 _Don't_ _confront_ _him_ _just_ _yet_ _!_ _You_ _need_ _more_ _information_ _, Adrian_ _._ I scoffed at the voice in my head, but complied to its request, pressing myself against the wall so that I could hide in the shadows, pulling them over me to hide from the others. I glared at Nightwing furiously, observing intently as he began to explain a little further.

"Where are we on identifying the Light's new partner?" Connor asked, and I silently scoffed; yet _another_ piece of information that I hadn't been told about.

Nightwing sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose.

"No progress," he murmured. Just then, a laugh rang through the Mission Room, and the three of them and I turned to see M'gann and La'gaan entering the room.

"Don't eat so fast," M'gann said, giggling like a school girl as La'gaan began stuffing something into his mouth. I glanced over at Connor, who was looking at the two, his fists clenched at his sides as a longing expression took form on his face. Poor Conner; he really did miss her. 

La'gaan then began marveling about M'gann making crab cakes, and M'gann warned him about choking. I could see Connor getting even more upset, even commenting on La'gaan's choking. I smiled a bit, since I'd never really liked the idea of M'gann and La'gaan together. Soon after that, La'gaan looked Connor in the eye and started spouting stuff about true love.

"What a dick move," I whispered, watching as Connor stormed out of the room. I was about to leave, too, when the zeta tube suddenly activated, and the room was filled with an ominous yellow glow.

" _Recognized_ _:_ _Artemis_ _, B 0-7,"_ the automated voice announced, and in walked Artemis, clad in her green suit. I gasped, covering my mouth to muffle it, as my longtime best friend walked across the room, right over to Nightwing. 

She hadn't told me that she was coming! Nightwing. . . he hadn't, either. What the hell was going on? 


	7. Go Ahead, Don't Explain

"Artemis!" M'gann exclaimed, running over to hug the blonde. Artemis smiled and returned M'gann's embrace, giggling as the two muttered something about Wally, which I couldn't hear because I was on the opposite side of the room.

_Stop_ _sulking_ _and_ _get_ _out_   _there_ _, Adrian_ _._ Oh, how my mind just loves to contradict itself. 

I huffed at the voice in my head, but complied as I allowed the shadows to slip away from my body, revealing myself to the room. I stepped away from the wall and walked over to the center of the Mission Room, though no one had taken notice to my sudden attendance. After Connor, Malcolm, and La'gaan had finished greeting Artemis, as well, Nightwing began the mission briefing.

"Okay, Gamma Squad, the mission is Cape Canaveral, a covert op to safeguard the first Earth-Mars comm sat. There are people out there who don't even like the idea of aliens, and will do anything to scrub this launch," he explained, pulling up a photo of the rocket satellite that I'd seen on the news this morning. I glanced over at M'gann, who had her head lowered, most likely in shame. It honestly irritated me that people still discriminated against her kind, even though she and her uncle had saved this world a countless number of times.

"But," Artemis said, placing a hand on M'gann's shoulder, "that's why I came back. Because, not all of us feel that way." M'gann smiled and nodded before turning back to Nightwing, though Malcolm piped up before he could continue.

"But, wait, why are _you_ going?" He asked, placing a hand on his hip. I folded my arms across my chest, eyeing Nightwing carefully. 

_Yeah, why **is** he going? _ It had honestly been years since I'd ever seen Nightwing accompany the Team on missions _._

Nightwing smiled. "Let's just say that after running this team for a year, I'm. . . peckish for a little action." I cringed at his pun, rolling my eyes.

"Not that this reunion isn't heartwarming," I muttered, finally gaining everyone's attention, "but  _someone_  still needs to know what's going on." I managed to shoot a glare toward Nightwing for a split second before I was practically tackled into a hug by Artemis.

"Adrian!" She exclaimed, letting out a laugh as she eyed me up and down. "You look awesome! I haven't seen you in a while." I grinned, returning her tight embrace the best that I could; I might've been out of the sling, but my arm was still crazy sore.

"I know! It feels like forever," I replied, chuckling. She grinned as her eyes trailed down to my arm, and she furrowed her eyebrows as I cradled it to my side.

"What happened to you?" She asked, poking my arm, and I hummed in response, rolling my eyes.

"You know me; reckless as hell," I replied, and we laughed.

I looked around at my other teammates, who were all looking back at Nightwing, waiting for his next order. Nightwing cleared his throat, folding his arms across his chest.

"Gamma Squad, to the Bioship," he announced, motioning to the loading dock. Artemis rolled her eyes and gave me one final squeeze before she and the rest of the group turned and walked out of the Mission Room, leaving me and Nightwing alone.

"Let's just cut to the chase," he snapped, narrowing his eyes at me. I did the same, taking a step up to him.

"Yes, let's," I replied, my tone just a firm. Nightwing didn't answer as he turned and brought up the computer, pulling up the same pictures of Roy that had been present earlier.

"I'm assuming that you want to talk about this, right?" He asked, motioning to one of Roy's photos; the one where he was lying motionless on the hospital bed. I grimaced as I saw him, but nodded, not looking away from the picture.

"I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you  _just_  found him within the past couple of hours, and were holding off telling me because you wanted to be sure that it was really him, or something like that," I murmured, sniffling lightly as I felt the tears prickling in my eyes again. "Don't give me a reason to change my mind." Nightwing sighed, taking a step forward as he placed a hand on my quivering shoulder.

"We found him in Tibet a couple of weeks ago, a little while after Bart showed up," he replied, placing his other hand on my other shoulder. I didn't turn to look at him; I couldn't. I couldn't believe that he'd been keeping  _this_ a secret from me. I clenched my fists, shaking my head as I continued to stare at Roy's picture, the tears now spilling over onto my cheeks.

"Why?" I whispered, my voice breaking. "Why did you keep this from me?" Nightwing didn't answer. Instead, he did something I honestly didn't imagine he would do: he hugged me.

He wrapped his arms around my back, pulling me into his thick leather suit, and when I tried to pull away a bit, he tightened his grip on me, practically crushing me against his chest, which caused me to wince, because my arm was stuck between his stomach and mine.

"D-Dick? What are you doing?" I whispered, too surprised to even attempt returning his embrace. I felt him rest his forehead against mine, letting out a deep sigh that fanned against my face, which caused me to flush a light shade of pink.

"I didn't tell you," he murmured back, reaching up with one of his hands to wipe away the tears that stained my cheek, "because we weren't even sure if he was going to wake up. I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid that he would die, and then you would be devastated." I sniffled, tilting my head up so that I could see his face.

"That wouldn't have stopped me, anyway," I replied, rubbing the back of my hand against my eye. "I would've found him, and I would've stayed with him until they took him away from me, and then I would make sure that the same thing never happened to any of you." Nightwing shook his head, his brows furrowing with either confusion or worry, or possibly both.

"Adrian, that's what I was afraid of," he said, looking away from me. "I want you to be able to do your own thing without worrying about others. You are your own hero, as are we. We don't always need you there for us." Just when you think that a guy can be even the slightest bit sentimental, he opens his mouth and becomes a complete asshole.

"I'm not saying that I need to take care of you -  _any_  of you," I muttered, gritting my teeth as I tried to pull away from him. "I only watch out for you guys because it's my job as a hero to protect my team and the public at all costs." I shook my head. "Don't even try to change the subject; I'm still mad at you for keeping all of this from me! I haven't been speaking to you for a reason, you know." Nightwing sighed.

"I know, and I promise that I'll tell you everything you want to know when I get back, okay?" He replied, giving me a small smile, and I felt my anger slowly start to subside as I stared back at him. 

_How can one human be so handsome?_ I silently cursed myself for getting distracted by his gorgeous face, but what was even more distracting was the fact that I hadn't noticed that he'd bent over to kiss me on the cheek.

I gulped as he pressed his warm lips to my cheek, allowing the blush to completely take over my face. I hesitantly reached up and placed my hand on the back of his neck, running my fingers along the ends of his hair. I could feel him chuckle against my cheek before he pulled away, my face immediately feeling cold without him near.

"That tickled," he murmered, giving me a playful smile. I returned his smile, staring longingly up at him. He still hadn't let me out of the hug, and I still had my hand around his neck, my other one resting between us.

There was something tugging at the back of my mind, though; something that I hadn't felt in a while. It seemed to take a hold of me, and I couldn't help but allow it to push me in a direction I didn't think I'd consider going at the moment.

"Dick?" I asked, leaning up on my toes a bit. I saw a light shade of pink dust his cheeks as he, too, leaned forward, narrowing the space between us.

"Hm?" He hummed in response, tightening his hold around me. I closed my eyes and sighed, swallowing hard.

"Please, don't hate me," I whispered, letting out a light chuckle. 

"Why would I hate you? What did you do?" He asked, and I could hear the tone in his voice soften. I opened my eyes, and, even though I couldn't see his directly through the mask, I knew that he was staring back at me, too. The unfamiliar feeling continued to spread throughout every part of me, and I couldn't stop it. 

"I'm about to do something wrong," I murmured in reply, and before he could answer, I gripped the back of his neck, pulling him down to me as I closed the space between us.

His lips were rough, but not so rough that the kiss was uncomfortable, and they were warm - so incredibly warm. I didn't move as I pressed my lips against his, keeping the kiss small and simple. I honestly wanted to see how much further I could push it, but I didn't want to ruin what little relationship we still had between us, so I began to pull away. But, before I could, Nightwing's hand found the back of my head, smashing my face against his as he began to kiss back.

He moved his lips against mine, and he moaned softly into the kiss. I did the same, twisting my fingers into his hair. He groaned a bit, leaning forward so that my back was arched over the arm that was still wrapped around my waist, keeping me pinned to his front. My lips slid against his, taking in the kiss as our mouths moved together, each of us letting out a soft moan here and there.

After a few moments, I felt him cautiously brushed the tip of his tongue against my bottom lip. It tickled, and, as I began to giggle, he took the opportunity to slide his tongue in between my parted lips, catching me completely off guard. I gasped, my eyes rolling back as I wrapped my arm around his neck, pulling him even closer to me. His tongue explored ever inch of my mouth, sliding against my own as his grip on the back of my head tightened, keeping our faces locked together. The entire time we were kissing, I couldn't help but observe the way he acted.

_He's_ _aggressive_ _,_ I thought as I tilted my chin to get a better angle into the kiss.  _He's_ _kissing_ _me_ _hungrily. T_ _he_ _way_ _he's_ _holding_ _me_ _,_ _too_ _. . ._ _Oh_ _,_ _man_ _,_ _this_ _feels_ _amazing_ _._

"Oh, my gosh! Garfield was right!"

My eyes shot open, and I released my hold on Nightwing, shoving him away from me as I whirled around to face M'gann, who was standing on the other end of the room, grinning like an idiot. My face flushed an even darker shade of red - if that were possible - as I tried to catch my breath.

_Who_ _knew_ _kissing_ _could_ _take_ _that_ _much_ _out_ _of_ _a_ _person?_

_"_ _Um_ _,_ _I_ _did_ _!"_ M'gann's cheery voice echoed in my head, and I scowled at her as she began giggling, looking between me and Nightwing, who was now staring at one of the photos that were still filling the room. 

"We were wondering why you hadn't shown up yet, so I came back to get you," M'gann continued, folding her arms over her chest. "The team is waiting." Nightwing nodded, clearing his throat.

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute," he replied, his tone wavering, and I couldn't help but smirk;  _I_  had made his voice crack. Sure, it was a small victory, but it still made the butterflies in my stomach erupt into a frenzy.

"Yes, sir," M'gann replied mockingly, cocking an eyebrow at the two of us before she phased through the floor to the loading dock below. I chuckled and turned to Nightwing, who was scratching the back of his head.

"Well, uh, that didn't seem so 'wrong' to me," he murmured, giving me a tiny smile. I laughed and shook my head, placing my hand on my hip.

"Nope; at least, not as wrong as I thought it'd be," I replied. Nightwing nodded, turning to head out of the Mission Room toward the loading dock.

"I'll see you later, okay?" He said, glancing at me over his shoulder as he began to walk away. I nodded in return, giving him a little two-fingered salute.

"I'll be here," I muttered, watching his retreating form disappear down the hall. "I'm still mad at you, by the way!" I heard him chuckle before he disappeared down the hall, and, as soon as he was gone, I placed my hand over my mouth to cover the smile that wouldn't leave my face.

After a moment or two, I felt my entire body stiffen as the feeling that'd all but taken over me disappeared, as did my smile. I shook my head, my gaze lowering a bit as I gripped the sides of my head, my lips pinching into a thin line.

Oh, God, what had I done?

* * *

I waited for a few minutes after I was sure that they'd left before turning and walking to the center of the Mission Room. I immediately brought up the computer, frantically searching for the files on Roy.To my surprise, there wasn't much to look at; just the pictures and his current location. The disappointment was real, however, when I remembered that Nightwing had told me that the Team had found Roy almost two weeks ago, and yet still refused to say anything to me about it.

_And yet, he still told everyone else._ I growled in annoyance at the voice in my head, rubbing my fingertips against my temples as I tried to think of something that I could do to get more information.

"Why don't I just go visit him?" I mumbled to myself, placing a hand on my chin in thought. "I mean, I already know where he is, so I could just drop by. I need to see him." I hugged my arms around my chest, taking a deep breath.

"Should I go as me? Or should I go as  _her_?" I muttered, glancing behind me at the hallway that lead to my room. After a few seconds of a heated mental debate, I figured that my best bet was to go as Black Monarch. That way, the hospital staff would give me better access to Roy's room, and, if Roy were to wake up, then he wouldn't recognize me.

_I'm_ _not_ _sure_   _i_ _f_ _I'm_ _ready_ _for_ _him_ _to_ _wake_ _up_ _yet_ _. . ._ _At_ _least_ _,_ _not_ _with_ _the_ _chance_ _that_ _he_ _might_ _not_ _remember_ _me_ _._

I puffed my cheeks and turned on my heel, strutting off to my room.

Once I'd made it to my room, I walked over to my closet to get my suit. The way my closet works is that there are two bars for hanging things on, one on either side of a large metal divider in the middle. When I need my suit, I press the button on the side of the doorway, and the bars pull back into the wall, away from the divider, which then slips backwards into the back wall while the back wall shifts down, revealing my actual suit on the left side, along with my mask, and my cape, boots, gloves, and gadgets on the right side. It's pretty freaking awesome, if you ask me.

I pressed the button, and ten seconds later, my beautiful black and silver suit was revealed to me. I slipped everything on, including the cape, and flew out of my room, down the hall, and into the Mission Room, where I used the zeta tubes to relocate myself to Star City.

_This_ _is_ _it_ _, Adrian_ _._ _You're_ _going_ _to_ _see_   _him_ _again_ _._


	8. Friends May Die, But They Aren't Forgotten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who actually read this, thanks a lot. It means a lot :)

I flew high above the buildings, thankful that the dark night sky acted as cover for me to wander the city as I pleased. I only had to fly for a short time before I landed in the alleyway behind Royal Memorial Hospital, and I made sure that my mask was on securely and that my cape was straight as I made my way to the front of the hospital, trying to act casual as I walked through the front doors.

I did my best to ignore the excited whispers I was getting from passerbys, and I made sure to flash them all a dazzling grin, which earned even more whispers, as well as a camera flash or two as I walked through the lobby, placing my hands on the front desk. A woman of about 40 nearly dropped her phone as she gawked at me for a solid minute, her eyes wider than dinner plates.

"Um, excuse me," I said politely. She blinked a few times before showing me the cheesiest grin I'd ever seen in my life.

"Black Monarch! Such an honor to see you!" She exclaimed, frantically tapping the woman beside her, who turned away from her computer long enough to give me a firm nod before getting back to her work.

"Yes, thank you, ma'am," I replied, impatiently tapping my fingers on the desk. "Would you mind telling me which room 'Roy Harper' is staying in?" I asked, giving her a hopeful look. Luck must have been on my side, because she wasted no time in pointing me down a long hallway, giving me the room number and a firm handshake, as well as taking about twenty or so photos before I told her that I needed to go.

I couldn't say that I was nervous to see him, because that would've been an understatement; I was almost terrified.

Deep breaths.  _You can do this._

"I can do this," I muttered as I stopped just outside of Roy's room. My hand hesitated over the doorknob, a giant lump forming in my throat as I stared at the dull white door.

_Why_ _am_ _I_ _hesitating?_ I glanced down to see my fingers trembling the slightest bit, and I gnawed at the inside of my lip.  

_It's_ _because_ _you're_ _nervous_ _._ _Don't_ _be, Adrian; ju_ _st_ _open_ _the_ _door_ _._ I closed my eyes, grasping the door knob, and flung the door open, my cape fluttering behind me as I stood in the doorway, marveling at how he looked, lying there in the hospital bed. 

He looked exactly like he had been when I'd seen him in the photos, except, this time, he was rolled over onto his side, his chin resting against his collarbone as his side rose and fell softly with every breath.

I was at his side in an instant, my eyes never leaving his face as I leaned in closer to him, watching him as though he would disappear at any moment.

_Roy_ _. . ._ He was finally back. 

A few tears slipped down my cheeks, landing on his gaudy hospital gown, and I sniffled, wiping another few away before they had a chance to soak into my mask.

"Black Monarch?"

I shot up straight, turning toward the doorway with my hands gripped together behind my back as I tried to even my shuddered breathing.

"Yes?" I answered, giving the nurse in the doorway a small smile. She returned the smile, but the expression on her face wasn't as happy as I would've hoped.

"I'm afraid you'll have to step out," she said, gesturing to the hallway. "Visiting hours are over; I apologize for the inconvenience." I shook my head, lowering my gaze to Roy's gentle face.

"No need to apologize," I murmured, taking a deep breath as I leaned down to place a kiss on Roy's forehead. He stirred for a moment, letting out a small sigh before falling still again. I smiled, stepping out of the room, and I gave one last over-the-shoulder glance to Roy before the nurse shut the door, ushering me back down the hallway.

"If you'd like, you can come see him tomorrow," she said, her voice rather cheerful. "A couple of other gentlemen visit everyday, around 2, so maybe you can arrive with them, yeah?" I nodded, murmuring a quick "thank you" before I headed out of the hospital, flying up over the surrounding buildings. I decided not to take the zeta tubes and just fly back to Mount Justice. It was going to be one hell of a trip, but I really needed some time to think, anyway; about Roy, Nightwing, the Kroloteans, Artemis, Kaldur. . . Everything. 

* * *

By the time I'd made it back to Mount Justice, it was about 4 AM the next morning. I landed just outside the hangar door, stepping inside as it opened up for me, and I walked into the Mission Room before pausing to catch my breath.

_Good_ _L_ _ord_ _,_ _flying_ _takes_ _a_ _lot_ _out_ _of_ _you_ _,_ I thought, wiping away the beads of sweat that'd formed on my face.  _I_ _need_ _some_ _water_ _. . ._

I walked down the hall toward the kitchen, when I stopped again about halfway through.

_Is_ _someone_ _crying_ _?_ I thought, listening carefully as I heard a chorus of sobs and sniffles coming from the lounge and kitchen. I was far enough down the hallway that I could see the stove and part of the counter, but the only other thing I saw were the shadows that plastered themselves to the kitchen floor. I eyed every movement, calculating the number of shadows being cast.

_That's_ _. . ._ _almost t_ _he_ _entire_ _T_ _eam_ _._ _Why_ _is_ _someone_ _crying_ _,_ _though_ _?_ I swallowed hard, slowly creeping closer to the end of the hallway.  _Oh_ _,_ _no_ _._ _Did_ _something_ _happen_ _?_ I made it to the end of the hallway, holding back a gasp as I stared at the scene in front of me.

Almost every member of the Team was here, either sitting on the furniture in the lounge, or leaning against the kitchen counters. All of them had tears in their eyes, and a few, including M'gann, were sobbing.

"What happened?" I asked, gaining everyone's attention. No one bothered to answer me as they continued to stare at me, probably questioning why I was in my suit. I ignored their stares and asked again.

"What happened?" I snapped, my tone more demanding this time. Again, nobody answered, until Garfield stood up from his spot on the sofa, where he'd been hugging M'gann.

"You were ready to fight," he whimpered, sniffling as he eyed my suit. "Why didn't you do anything? Why didn't you save her?" The lump in my throat returned, but this time, it was for an entirely different reason.

"W-Who?" I whispered, my voice breaking as a fresh wave of tears gathered in my eyes. Garfield shook his head, a tear or two slipping from his cheek and onto the floor.

"Artemis."

I dropped to my knees as M'gann croaked out the name. The tears began flowing down my cheeks, and my throat couldn't hold back the sobs that were pushing to escape. I held my face in my hands, letting out a screaming sob as I shook my head, gripping the sides of my head tightly with my gloved hands.

"How did it happen?!" I demanded, a furious expression crossing over my face. A few of the members of my team looked startled at my outburst, though none seemed to think that it was unnecessary.

"Kaldur'ahm," M'gann whispered, clenching her fists at her side. "Kaldur'ahm did this to her!" She let out another long string of cries, and Garfield was instantly by her side once more, locking her into a tight embrace. That's not what my mind was focused on, though.

_Kaldur._ He'd done this to her. 

_He_ was responsible for Artemis' death. 

_He_ did this to us. 

I let out an angry scream that made my throat ache as I sprung to my feet, flying away from the kitchen and all the way to the Grotto, kicking the door open with every ounce of energy I had.

"Where is it?!" I shouted out loud, my eyes darting around the room until I found it. I narrowed my eyes at the image, baring my teeth as I sprinted toward it.

"You think that you can just take whatever you want from us?!" I screamed as I crashed into Aqua Girl's holographic memorial, using my own hands to completely destroy the thing.

"You were part of this team! You were part of this family!  _You were one of my best friends!"_  I continued to rip every wire out of the platform until the image began to waver, glitching and losing focus every now and then, until it disappeared completely, the platform completely obliterated. I panted, clutching tightly to a chunk of metal that was still in my grasp.

"You take my best friend away from me, and I take away your last reminder of the one thing that you could never have," I muttered, growling as I threw the scrap of metal to the floor, ignoring the pain that came from the giant gash in my hand that I'd gotten somewhere along the way.

My anger was over powering me. It coursed through my veins like a drug that would stay behind forever, continuing on endless repeat through my blood until I was dead. Nothing mattered to me at the moment; nothing but my thirst for revenge. It felt weird; no, not weird - _good_. In fact it felt _amazing_. I wanted to do all I could to keep this feeling inside of me, even if it meant ripping everything in my sight to shreds. As long as I would finally have my chance to get a hold of Kaldur - 

_But,_ _what_ _good_ _would_ _that_ _do_ _?_ The voice in my head somehow managed to break through my clouded mind. 

"He killed her," I hissed, the tears in my eyes spilling down my cheeks as I gritted my teeth together. "That bastard killed her. He took her away from us!" 

_Look_ _around_ _you_ _._ I slowly rotated my head a bit, catching sight of the memorials for Robin and Blue Beetle - Ted, not Jaime.  _These heroes died doing what they do best: saving the world. Sure, they are missed, but they will continue to live on in your heart._

"It doesn't matter!" I snapped, gripping the sides of my head tightly. "They didn't deserve to die! Artemis, Jason, Ted - they're all gone! Why was she next? Why  _Artemis_?!" 

_It just happened; these things happen. Destroying Aqua Girl's memorial may have made you feel better now, but remember what this feels like, because, if this situation ever presents itself again, you shouldn't react like this._

"I -"

_It_ _IS_ _going_ _to_ _happen_ _again_ _,_ _and,_ _like_ _Nightwing_ _said_ _before_ _,_ _you_ _can't_ _always_ _protect_ _them_ _. It'_ _s_ _not_ _going_ _to_ _be_ _your_ _fault_ _._ I let out a growl, whirling around to face someone I knew wasn't even behind me. 

"I failed to protect her; how is it _not_ my fault?" 

_You were never assigned to that mission._ I hesitated. 

"No, I wasn't," I muttered, my eyes narrowing as I slowly raised my head to look up at the wreckage that had once been Aqua Girl's memorial, "but Nightwing _was_." 

_You're right, he was; but, there's nothing we can do about it, now._ I sighed, my gaze averting to the floor in front of me. 

That last statement lingered in my head long after the voice had fallen silent. I finally sank to my knees for the second time in the past five minutes, although, this time, the only thing that came were the tears. No cries, no sobs, no screams; just tears.

I closed my eyes and hung my head, staying that way for another hour or so, until Nightwing came to collect me. We didn't speak to each other, even after I had returned to my room; speaking to him would just remind me that he had been on that mission with her, and that he could've done something to save my best friend. 

Deep down, I knew that it was wrong to blame him for it, but, right now, my mind was telling me that blaming him was the only way for me to cope.

I spent the rest of the morning locked in my room, scrolling through the pictures on my phone from when Artemis and I had been on the Team together. I smiled as I found the video of when I'd let her try on my cape, and she'd spread it out, exposing the silver butterfly wings on the back. She then ran around the lounge, my cape flying behind her, yelling stuff about shadows and darkness. I let out a stiff chuckle as she jumped over the back of the couch, landing on the floor with the cape draped over her eyes. I felt a few more tears slip down my cheeks as I watched the screen go dark, signaling the end of the video. Those were memories that I would never be able to get back, memories that I would never be able to laugh about with her again. . . memories that may as well be destroyed, because they meant next to nothing without her here to share them with.

I didn't delete any photos or videos, though; I just set my phone down on the desk beside me and stared up at the ceiling, racking my brain to try and figure out why there were still tears left for me to shed. I then remembered that, one time, when I was twelve, my Aunt Kate had told me that the bigger someone's heart was, the more tears they had to shed for the ones they loved. Though it hadn't really made sense to me back then, I couldn't help but ponder over this for a moment. 

I glanced down at my chest, sighing. 

"I never would've thought that it was  _that_  big," I mumbled, closing my eyes as I rested my head back against my pillow.


End file.
